Cause of house fire still unknown

Fort Scott firefighters battled the heat and a house fire Friday evening on East Wall Street.

Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou said Monday local fire investigators are looking into the cause of a blaze that started in a residence in the 1200 block of East Wall Street about 5 p.m.

Ballou said the blaze did extensive damage to its interior.

"The guys got the fire knocked down pretty quickly," he said. "It burned the inside pretty good. It took awhile to get all the hot spots out."

The initial page, which was shortly before 5 p.m., stated the front of the house was engulfed in flame. Ballou said the fire shot a column of black smoke into the sky that was visible from a long distance.