No injuries at house fire on Ohio Street

Smoke pours out of a roof vent as firefighters work their way inside 1030 Ohio during a two-alarm house fire Saturday afternoon.

No one was injured in a house fire at 1030 Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical crews responded to the fire around 1:20 p.m. after a 911 caller reported seeing smoke coming out of the attic and second floor of the home.

The 1000 block of Ohio Street was blocked off for at least an hour as emergency crews fought the smoke, and at times fire, visible from the street.

After working inside the home for about 20 minutes, firefighters broke windows from inside the home, as smoke continued to come from the upstairs rooms.

About 1:45 p.m., items on fire could be seen in the upper northwest bedroom, and firefighters threw several items, such as a mattress and clothes, from the window. The items reignited on the ground and were extinguished again.

Firefighters initiated a second alarm to get additional units to the scene, as crews rotated to fight the fire in near 100-degree temperatures.

Jane Blocher, executive director of the Douglas County chapter of the American Red Cross, said she was contacted about assisting the tenants of the home, two people from an upstairs apartment and two from the lower apartment. Blocher said none of the tenants were home during the fire. Two of the tenants were contacted and offered services, though the agency was still attempting to contact the other tenants hours after the fire. No names of the occupants were available Saturday night.

There did not appear to be any damage to nearby houses or buildings. The property is owned by Michael Imber and Jane Imber. Contacted by phone Saturday evening, Michael Imber said he did not know the cause of the fire and declined further comment.

No information on a cause of the fire or a damage estimate were available Saturday night.