Several fire departments were called to a blaze that destroyed an historic Midway home Sunday night.
The homeowner told Live5News.com that he attempted to put out the fire himself when they found smoke coming from the walls of the nearly 300-year-old home on Islands Highway.
"So we put out the fire and realized that the fire had gotten into the wall and we began to put it out by hand and we put our pets in the kitchen, called 911," Scott Belford told the television station. "I was managing what was a little bit of a fire in a wall and once the firemen arrived, I pointed out where it was, first on the second floor then in the attic and then the police ran me out of the house before I could show them where the fire was, and then it exploded.
As firefighters worked the scene, flames engulfed the home which contained artifacts that were destined for the University of Georgia Library.
"This house has artifacts including Julia King’s diary."
Liberty County Fire Chief Brian Darby said no injuries were reported, and officials were investigating the cause of the fire.
