Hearts skipped a beat Tuesday afternoon when Sylva's volunteer firefighters were paged to respond to a possible structure fire at the historic Hooper House in downtown Sylva. Soldering work being done in the building's crawl space sparked a small, smoldering fire, sending smoke throughout the newly-renovated structure, said Chief Mike Beck. "Luckily, it wasn't a big deal, but it could have been," he said. "It was pretty much over before we got there." The Hooper House Preservation Foundation has spent approximately $350,000 renovating the 1906 house since it was acquired from Jackson County two years ago. Plans call for the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, to be occupied this spring by the Chamber of Commerce, SPIR and the county's Historical Association. - Herald photo by Kelly Timco |