APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – An Appleton home is damaged by fire early Monday morning.
Fire crews were called just after 12:45 a.m. to 3223 Crestview Dr.
The person inside the home was watching TV when he heard a crackling sound in the wall near the fireplace. Once the room began to fill with smoke, he used a fire extinguisher on the fire in the fireplace.
The man then went to the basement and saw a glow in the floorboards under the fireplace. He got everyone out of the house safely and called 911.
Firefighters quickly doused the flames, and they remained on the scene for about two-and-a-half hours.
Investigators say the fire started when embers from the fireplace fell through a gap in the unit. The floor around the fireplace was damaged and part of the chimney structure was also damaged. There was moderate smoke damage on the first floor of the house.
Damage was estimated at about $30,000.
The house had working smoke detectors.
