No one hurt in Arnold basement fire; 8 people displaced

May 27--No one was injured in a basement fire that broke out Saturday afternoon in Arnold.

Firefighters responded to a basement fire at 5:20 p.m. in a house at 1503 Victoria Ave.

Arnold Fire Company No. 1 Chief Walt Gouza said eight people were living at the house and two adults and two children were home at the time of the fire.

He said everyone was able to get out.

Gouza said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Homeowner Maxine Rhine said she had recently bought a used clothes dryer, but she wasn't sure if that caused the fire.

She said she has lived in the house since 2003. She said she was living with her two adult sons and some extended family.

She said she wasn't home when the fire started.

It took firefighters about 25 minutes to get the fire out. Crews were still at the scene at 8 p.m. Saturday checking for hot spots and making sure the residents had somewhere to go.

"Right now, these residents are displaced," Gouza said.

Gouza said the fire started in the basement and damaged the first floor. He said the homeowner has insurance.

"It's not a total loss," he said.

No other houses were damaged despite the proximity to the fire.

Emily Balser is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4680, [email protected] or via Twitter @emilybalser.

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