The brick and timber Byrne mansion burned to the ground in less than six hours. On March 19, 1918, when workmen were enclosing an open wood and brick porch at the west end of the mansion off Mrs. Coe's bedroom, the house was accidentally set ablaze with an acetylene torch. The fire raced quickly through the highly flammable wood and lamay brick house, consuming the mansion faster than fire fighters could bring in water from a reservoir several miles to the northwest of the property. The house burned to the ground in just six hours. Remarkably, none of the servants present at the estate in the Coes absence were injured in the fire, even though many of them tried to save some of the furniture and artwork from the burning house

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