The house, located at 1414 Eighth Ave. S, was vacant at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters were dispatched at about 4 a.m.

Upon arrival fire crews found the large two-story house with heavy fire on the first and second floors. The fire extended into the attic with exposures of a garage and occupied houses in close proximity on both sides, Hergenreter reported.

He said crews made an aggressive attack knocking down large amounts of fire and preventing the spread to the nearby structures.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The rear wall of a house at 1414 Eighth Ave. S. sustained severe damage during a fire early Monday morning. Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said the blaze started in the kitchen, which is where the large hole in the wall is now.

Additional firefighters were called to the scene due to the size of the structure and large amount of fire on three levels of the house.

The property is owned by Keith Eldridge, of Humboldt.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Webster County Law Enforcement Center at 515-573-2323.