VIDEO: Authorities have determined the cause of a fire that destroyed a well-known historic house in Prescott Valley earlier this month.
Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) and the Prescott Fire Department responded to the blaze at the Barlow-Massicks house, also known as the Castle on the Creek, on Fourth Street near Fain Park on the afternoon of May 2.
On Thursday, CAFMA said an investigation found that the fire was accidental and caused by the use of a fireplace inside the house.
The iconic piece of history was reduced to ash in the fire. One person was occupying the house at the time of the fire, but they made it out without serious injuries. The house dates back to the late 1800s. Thomas Gibson Barlow Massicks built the “castle” as a British manor for entertaining. It had a ballroom and a wine cellar, which were rare for a house in the Arizona territory. For more on the history, click or tap here.
CAFMA thanked several neighboring departments for their assistance in this response.
