Fire destroys vacant house on Hickory Street in central Abilene
Firefighters called a second alarm early Friday for a house engulfed in flames and billowing heavy smoke, according to an Abilene Fire Department news release.
The home burned to the ground.
The fire in the 800 block of Hickory Street was reported about 1 a.m. Fire crews maintained an exterior attack only due to the extent of the fire and the structural integrity of the residence, the release said.
No one was residing at the house, which sustained an estimated $60,000 in damage, the release said.
In addition, a shop at the back of the property and facing State Street appeared to be vacant for some time, an AFD spokeswoman said.
A preliminary investigation shows the cause of the fire is undetermined, in part because the house was fully in flames when AFD arrived and there were no witnesses, the spokesman said.
Dozens of tires, some including rims, were stacked in the area between the house and the shop.
The city's planning and development services has begun an emergency abatement to expedite the cleanup of the property, a city official said.
.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Fire destroys vacant house on Hickory Street in central Abilene
