Cat dead following Canton fire at “hoarder” house; structure to be demolished

A cat is dead following a house fire in the city of Canton Wednesday evening.

Crews were in the area responding to an accident on the highway when they noticed smoke in the area Elgin Ave NW. When they arrived, the found the front porch of 303 Elgin Ave NW on fire but spreading to the inside 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, so there was a lot of effort put forth trying digging through what was described as hoarder conditions attempting to confirm whether or not the owner was in the home,” Division Chief Steve Henderson said.

It was later found that the owner was out to dinner at the time of the fire.

A neighboring home sustained exterior damage, causing the homeowner to be removed.

The house where the fire originated will have to be demolished due to the extent of the damage.

Crews remained on scene most of the night extinguishing spot fires.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries. The fire is currently is under investigation.