Property owner finds small miracle in Thursday fire

Jan. 27--OTTUMWA -- Fires are violent events. Aside from the damage of the flames themselves, water used to put out the fire brings its own destruction. So, to Keith Cooper, the fact his grandmother's mandolin survived a house fire Thursday night is something close to a miracle.

No one was at home when the house on East Court Street caught fire. Cooper, the property's owner, said no one was at home at the time. Neighbors eventually contacted him and his wife in Des Moines.

"We're thankful for the people who helped us," he said. "We're believers, we're Christians. We have faith that gets us through things."

Cooper estimated the mandolin was close to 130 years old. His grandmother played it for years. But mandolins aren't known for being rugged instruments. The fact one survived a major house fire on Thursday is remarkable.

The house, which Cooper said was built in 1910, suffered extensive water and fire damage. No cause for the fire has been announced.

Insurance on the property had lapsed, so the fire created some financial hurdles. But Cooper focused on the fact no one was hurt. He praised the work of firefighters and police, who he said were on the scene into the early morning hours.

"People," he said, "are more important than buildings."