AVENUES FIRE CAUSES $25,000 DAMAGE

A basement apartment fire in the Avenues caused $25,000 damage Saturday, gutting one room and causing extensive smoke damage to the rest of the building, according to Salt Lake Fire Battalion Chief Jim Kleine.

The fire at 676 E. Third Avenue was reported shortly after noon Saturday. The cause appeared to be electrical, Kleine said. However, he said investigators were not sure whether it was the result of faulty wiring or an electric appliance.No one was home at the time the fire broke out, and firefighters found only a dead cat inside the house. The fire was confined to the basement and was contained within several minutes, according to Battalion Chief Jerry Duke.