No injuries in house fire
A Sunday afternoon fire chased several people from a Butler house, but no one was injured, authorities said.
The blaze was reported shortly before 1 p.m. at 406 W. North St., a two-story rental home with a front porch, and is believed to be accidental, possibly electrical.
Capt. Kevin McAfee of the Butler Fire Department estimated damage to the house at between $20,000 and $25,000, and another $10,000 in damage to its contents.
The owner, whose name was not immediately available, had insurance; the tenants did not.
Fire officials said there were four people listed on the lease, but some of the tenants told the Butler Eagle that there were six people from three different families living there. All six were home at the time of the fire, they said.
There was little smoke showing when fire crews first arrived, McAfee said.
“We did a walk around and saw fire through the window on the back corner of the house,” he said. “Smoke then stated rolling out from the eaves.”
An attack crew quickly got inside, and the fire was contained in 15 to 20 minutes. Officials noted that there were working smoke detectors in the house.
McAfee said the home was deemed uninhabitable and the Red Cross was notified to help the tenants.
