MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — A house in Mattoon was left uninhabitable Thursday morning after a fire badly burned the inside.
The fire happened in the area of Prairie Avenue and 34th Street around 4 a.m. The Mattoon Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched to that location for a possible structure fire. When they arrived, firefighters found a 1.5-story house on fire with heavy smoke and flames in the back.
Crews confirmed with the people living at the home that everyone had escaped and was accounted for. No civilians or firefighters were hurt, and the fire was extinguished within an hour. Crews cleared the scene at 9 a.m.
The house was left in ruins after the fire, with heavy fire damage to the living room and the second floor and smoke and water damage throughout the home. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the people living there.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
