An electrical fire burned down a historical Jonestown home on three-and-a-half acres of land between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Mayor Kenny Lester, who is also a volunteer firefighter for the Coahoma County Fire Department, was in on putting out the fire. He said the home once belonged to the Longino family and John T. Longino used to be a farmer and owned the largest gin in Jonestown.
“Longino was one of the richest people we had in town,” Lester said.
The home now belongs to Coleen and Jerome Coley.
“It’s been in town, I think, since 1942,” Lester said.
The CCFD and Jonestown Fire Department put the fire out with trucks on the scene and the state fire marshal is investigating the cause.
The weather was a factor in not being able to save the home after the fire occurred.
“I just hate to see anyone lose their home,” Lester said. “We at the volunteer fire department tried, but due to the wind it was a tough task.”
Lester said someone was home, but no injuries occurred during the fire.
“It took about an hour to get it under control and about three to four hours to put it out,” Lester said.
The city does not plan to get further involved in the immediate future, but that could change in the coming days and months.
“They had insurance on the house, so we probably won’t get too much involved in it,” he said.
“Probably down the road, we might put a landmark, but we have no short-term goals.”
The mayor expressed his condolences.
“We hate for anyone to lose their home in a house fire, but they actually lost everything,” Lester said.
“Everyone feels heartbroken because someone lost their home, but that’s about it.”
