Officials: Fire in Abandoned Belle Plaine House Suspicious

By Spencer Willems

Belle Plaine Volunteer Firefighters inspect any remaining hot spots at a house fire early Wednesday morning. Authorities said no one was injured in the fire but also said that the late night blaze looked "suspicious." (Spencer Willems/The Gazette)

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Dec 2, 2009 at 8:53 AM CST

Story Updated: Dec 2, 2009 at 12:04 PM CST

BELLE PLAINE - Authorities are investigating a suspicious two-story house fire that ignited late Tuesday night.

Belle Plaine Fire Department Chief Russ Spading said that no one was injured in the residence fire at 1411 Sixth Ave., and said that arson had not been ruled out as the cause of the blaze.

“No one lives in the structure,” said Spading. “It’s a very suspicious fire… the Fire Marshall or insurance companies will be following up with an investigation.”

A neighbor called in the blaze, which engulfed half of the structure, shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday. Belle Plaine firefighters had the fire knocked down in ten minutes, but remained on scene for more than an hour afterword to knock out any hot spots.

Spading said that the fire appeared to have started on the first floor and spread to the second floor, causing extensive burn and smoke damage throughout the house.

The heat from the blaze warped the siding on an adjacent house and Spading said firefighters were lucky that the winds were not heavier, otherwise his crew would have been fighting two house fires.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

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