This from Art Zern:

Fire in a three story Victorian. The “Boynton Mansion” was built in 1886. Dispatched for a van fully involved in a carport. Upon arrival, heavy fire extending into kitchen, first and second floors. Went to a 2-11. Good stop.

Art

Daily-Chronicle photo

Daily-Chronicle photo

Excerpts from the DailyChronicle.com:

Norm Mathisen smelled something funny while doing carpentry work Friday at the historic Charles O. Boynton House at 307 N. Main St. Then he looked outside and saw his van on fire.

The flames eventually spread from the carport where Mathisen’s van was parked to all three floors of the landmark Sycamore home. It took firefighters from a dozen local fire departments about three hours to put out the fire.

Mathisen, owner of DeKalb-based Norm’s Custom Hardwood Flooring, said he didn’t notice anything wrong with the van when he returned to the home from his lunch break about 12:30 p.m. He said the fire still was contained to the van when he called 911.

Sycamore Assistant Fire Chief Todd Turner said a 911 call came in at 12:52 p.m., reporting a van on fire in the carport

Turner said that by the time firefighters were able to control the fire in the carport, flames also had spread throughout the house. Firefighters had to tear out walls and windows within the house to make sure the fire was completely out, he said.

The mansion, an 8,000-square-foot Queen Anne-style red brick home, was designed by George O. Garnsey, who built a similar property in DeKalb. The house remained in the family of Charles Boynton for a century. It was built in 1886 and 1887, costing $12,000, or $320,000 adjusting for inflation, and has been a stop on local house walk tours.

Sycamore firefighters were helped by several area departments, including DeKalb, Maple Park, Elburn, Kirkland, Hinckley, Sugar Grove, Burlington, Genoa-Kingston, and Cortland.

Tags: Charles O. Boynton House, fire destroys Boynton Mansion, Sycamore Assistant Fire Chief Todd Turner, Sycamore Fire Department