CANTON, Ohio — An investigation is now underway to determine what caused a house fire in Canton in which one cat died Wednesday afternoon.
It was shortly before 5:30 p.m. when crews responding to an accident on the highway noticed smoke in the area of Elgin Avenue NW.
Upon their arrival at the scene, officials found the front porch of a home “involved with heavy fire” that was extending to the interior of the two-story home.
“There were initially conflicting reports of whether or not the owner was inside the home at the time of the fire," according to a press release from the Canton Fire Department.
It was also noted "there was a lot of effort put forth" digging through what was described "as hoarder conditions" while attempting to confirm whether or not the owner was inside.
“It was later found that the owner was out to dinner at the time of the fire," according to the Canton Fire Department.
The Canton Fire Department released multiple photos from the scene, which you can view in the post below:
As a result, fire officials say the home will need to be demolished.
The Canton Fire Department estimates damages at $24,900 to the structure and $45,000 to the contents.
The fire also impacted the exterior of a neighboring home in which the occupant had to be removed.
Nobody was hurt.