Fire destroys vacant Clinton home

CLINTON — No one was injured after a vacant house burned late Wednesday night in Clinton.

Firefighters were called shortly before 11 p.m. to the structure fire at 111 N. Third St., with firefighters from Fulton, Illinois, and Camanche dispatched to provide mutual aid, according to a Clinton Fire Department press release.

Fire crews arrived on the scene and found a two-story residential structure with heavy fire on the first and second floors and flames extending through the roof. Firefighters worked defensively to protect the two houses to the north and south of the structure.

Clinton police officers assisted with alerting occupants of the nearby houses so they could evacuate.

Searches were performed in the exposure structures to ensure all occupants had evacuated. Additionally, each structure was examined for fire.

Both nearby houses sustained heat, smoke and water damage.

Emergency demolition was performed on the building where the fire began to prevent injury due to the structure’s instability and to assist with extinguishing fire.

The fire caused total estimated damages of $45,000, according to the press release. The Clinton fire and police departments are continuing an investigation into the fire’s origin and cause.

The Clinton Police Department, Clinton Street Department, Camanche Fire Department, Fulton Fire Department, Alliant Energy, Iowa American Water, Crandall Excavating and the Red Cross assisted at the scene.