Janesville house fire estimated ‘total loss’ at $140,000

JANESVILLE, Wis. (WIFR) - A resident smelled smoke after trying to reset his electrical box early Sunday evening.

The Janesville Fire Department arrived just after 5 p.m. to a home in the 800 block of West Holmes Street. The back side of the two-story house was engulfed in flames, and the fire had spread through out the attic.

It took firefighters over four hours to extinguish the blaze. Authorities watched the building overnight for any flare-ups.

First responders searched the home for residents, rescuing four cats. The Red Cross is assisting two of the five people displaced from the home.

The cause of the fire has been deemed unintentional, resulting in an estimated $100,000 in property damage and $40,000 in content losses.

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