On Sunday night at around 9:28 p.m., the Marshalltown Fire Department (MFD) received a call about a house fire at 514 N. Third Ave. Fire Chief David Rierson was unsure of how long the blaze had been going when firefighters arrived, but it was more than likely burning “for a while” because the floor was burnt out by the time they got there.
The normal team — an engine and ladder truck and 10 firefighters — responded and extinguished the fire from the outside. An ambulance was also on the scene and on standby, but there were no injuries as the house, located at the intersection of North Third Avenue and Marion Street, was vacant. Damages were estimated at around $29,000, which Rierson predicted would be considered a “total loss.”
The cause of the fire has been deemed suspicious, and it is currently under investigation.