Firefighters were called to a residential structure fire late Christmas night at a duplex in southwest Canton, displacing residents and causing an estimated $70,000 in damage.
The Canton Fire Department responded at about 10:55 p.m. Dec. 25 to a two-unit duplex at 229 Lawn Ave. SW. Crews arrived to find heavy fire showing from the windows of one unit, where a single female occupant had already evacuated, officials said.
A man and woman who were inside the adjacent unit were safely removed as a precaution. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and were able to rescue two dogs from the structure.
The unit where the fire originated sustained heavy damage and will not be reoccupied. The neighboring unit suffered moderate smoke damage and is also uninhabitable after power to the building was disconnected. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the woman who lived in the unit where the fire began.
No civilians were injured. One firefighter sustained minor injuries but remained on duty, according to the department.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.
Fire officials estimate the damage at $50,000 to the structure and $20,000 to its contents.
