Updated: No injuries in Wichita fire that destroyed a house

A house in the 100 block of North Gordon, near Douglas and Meridian, was destroyed in a fire Thursday morning.

Flames were reported just after 8 a.m. and heavy black smoke could be seen from downtown.

The adults and a baby were outside when crews arrived. No one was injured.

Battalion Chief Scott Brown said it took about 30 minutes for crews to get the blaze under control. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof, broke through windows and removed parts of the home’s gutter.

About 75 percent of the house was involved, so they had to fight the fire from the outside.

Both houses on either side received some damage, including melted siding, but they are liveable, Brown said.

Crews will be on the scene for at least a couple more hours. Fire investigators are on scene trying to determine the cause.

Temperatures were around 20 degrees when the fire started. Crews will put sand on the street and driveway to try to keep the water from turning into dangerous ice, Brown said.

The Red Cross was called for three people.

While the cause of this morning’s fire is not known yet, Brown said fires during this time of the year are commonly started by space heaters or Christmas lights.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Updated: No injuries in Wichita fire that destroyed a house."