By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
Northeast News
August 23, 2013

Firefighters remained on the scene this morning long after responding to a house fire at Thompson and Indiana, just north of Independence Avenue.

When fire crews arrived at approximately 1:30 a.m., the two-story stucco and frame house on the northwest corner was fully involved. Crews had to pull back to a defensive mode when part of the house collapsed from the second floor all the way into the basement.

The resident, an elderly man, was presumed to be inside at the time of the fire. Sources with the fire department at the scene indicated that the fire spread very quickly and there were no working smoke detectors in the home at the time.

According to Deputy Chief Floyd Peoples, the fire department will canvas the area immediately surrounding the house early next week and distribute free smoke detectors to area families.

“Working smoke detectors are key to surviving a fire of this nature,” said Peoples. “When you don’t have them, the result is often tragic.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The name of the man has not been released pending notification of relatives.

Photos by Michael Bushnell