Fire damages house in Cedar Rapids while nobody home

Emergency crews battled a house fire in southwest Cedar Rapids on Wednesday afternoon, which caused major damage to the structure.

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from the windows of a single-family home at 812 9th Avenue SW at 3:24 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find thick, black smoke coming from the house. Multiple firefighters entered the structure, and discovered fires burning on the first floor and in the basement. Officials observed holes in the floor on the first floor, possibly related to the fire. No working smoke detectors were active in the house.

Crews were able to put out the fire, and conducted a sweep of the home looking for occupants. None appeared to be home at the time of the fire, and nobody was injured.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.