The Perry Volunteer Fire Department staged a structure-fire training exercise Saturday morning, burning a house just south of Perry at 15003 J Ave.
The fire crew practiced opening vent holes in the roof of the structure in order to control the progress of the blaze, and they tested out some new equipment, including an electric chainsaw, according to PVFD Incident Commander Grayson Hill.
The house is owned by Bob Nevitt of Panora, and he and his family were on hand to watch the fire. Nevitt said the structure dates from the 1880s and was one of the earliest built in the area south of Perry.
By noon the house was fully engulfed, and a small crowd of onlookers gathered near 150th Street and J Avenue.
