Official: Oil-Soaked Rags Caused Fire At Historic Avon Home

AVON, CT - The Wednesday fire that damaged the historic Derrin House on Route 167 started with some rags used a day earlier for renovation work, the Avon Historical Society president said on Thursday.

"It was deemed spontaneous combustion - accidental," historical society president Terri Wilson said. "You know the saying, 'It takes a Village' to rebuild. The village is already reaching out."

Wilson she she has been bombarded with calls from well-wishers inquiring what can be done to restore the historic home at 249 West Avon Road - the local address for the parcel and home.

But first, she said, meetings must take place with insurance representatives.

Wilson said and investigation by state and local fire officials determined that some rags soaked with oil from a staining project on Tuesday ignited.

"They can warm up and smolder over time. State police said it takes about 30 hours," Wilson said. "We had some work done with oil-based stain."

She said local firefighters "reacted quickly," but still, the blaze left extensive smoke damage and some damage to ceilings and walls from the flames.

Wilson said some artifacts were lost on the first floor, including a piano, kitchen implements, some farm tools and a framed letter from the Derrin family from the 1850s that had been on the wall after being found on eBay. Wilson said there are other letters.

Some 19th-century ox yokes were lost on the second floor, she said.

She expected to have an extensive damage list by the end of Thursday.

State and local fire officials were optimistic the house can be restored, Wilson said.

Wilson said an organization affiliated with the Connecticut State Library named "Conservation ConneCTion" has already reached out. The organization works with museums that have faced disasters, she said.

The day-to-day operations of the Historical Society, based at Schoolhouse No. 3 in East Main Street, will not be affected by the fire, she said.

Calls about the fire came in just before 8:50 a.m, she said.

At 9:57, fire officials posted on their Facebook page that the blaze was out.

The Derrin House was built in 1810. The state owns it, but the Historical society leases it. Members of the Derrin family owned the land on which the house sits from 1766 to 1920, according to society archives.

Photo Credit: Avon Fire Department