CLINTON — A house fire in Clinton on Friday night displaced a family of six and caused significant damage, firefighters said.
The fire was reported about 8:50 p.m. at 672 W. 1860 North in Clinton. Neighbors initially noticed it and alerted the homeowners, said Clinton Fire Chief Dave Olsen. The three people inside the home at the time escaped safely, he said.
The fire started in the garage before it moved into the attic space, “and then moved quickly across the whole length of the roof line, so they’re going to have to probably replace that whole roof,” Olsen said.
The blaze was caused by an unattended propane heater that was too close to combustibles in the garage, the fire department said in a tweet Saturday.
Fire crews from surrounding areas responded to help extinguish the blaze.
Olsen called the damage to the home and vehicles on the property “quite significant,” estimating costs at $300,000.
A new truck that had been in the garage was ravaged, he said. A trailer was also destroyed, and the front end of a car in the driveway was damaged.
Olsen said the fire could have caused more damage if the door from the garage into the home had been open. The door stopped the fire from moving into other parts of the house, he said, urging others to always keep those doors shut as they are graded to prevent the spread of fire.