SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the exact cause of a house fire.
Just after 4:30p.m. Thursday, fire crews responded to a fire at a home at 527 SE Swygart Street in Topeka, according to Assistant Fire Marshal Dylan Smith.
Upon arrival, fire crews found smoke and flames coming from the front of a one-story home. A search revealed there were no occupants inside the home. Firefighters rescued five dogs from the residence.
A preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as Undetermined, most likely associated with a space heater malfunction. The estimated dollar loss – $18,000; $15,000 of which is associated with structural loss, $3,000 related to contents loss. The home did not have smoke alarms, according to Smith.