There were no injuries. No one was apparently in the house at 1441 17th St. S.W. when the fire broke out.

The fire was reported at 1:07 p.m.

When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were coming from the attic and roof of the house.

Firefighters immediately searched the house and found no one inside. They also used two hoselines to attack the fire burning in the attic.

-Submitted photo
Fort Dodge firefighters work at the scene of a house fire at 1441 17th St. S.W. Sunday afternoon. The cause of the fire was traced to a wood burning stove in the basement. No one was home at the time of the fire.

After part of the roof caved in, firefighters got out of the building and finished putting out the fire from the outside.

“The house had a peaked roof built over the original flat tar roof that made extinguishing fire between these two roofs very challenging,” Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said.

The cause of the fire was traced to a wood burning stove in the basement. According to Hergenreter, that stove was vented into an “improper chimney” which ignited wooden rafters in the attic.

Off-duty firefighters were called to the scene to help and to handle any other emergency calls in the city. Emergency personnel were on the scene until 4 p.m.

Fort Dodge police and Webster County sheriff’s deputies assisted firefighters.

The house is owned by Chad Panzi, of Fort Dodge, according to online records of the Webster County Assessor’s Office.