Three displaced after house fire in Atkins

An Atkins home was heavily damaged by fire Sunday afternoon.

Called about 12:40 p.m., firefighters arrived at 314 Second Ave. to find “lots of heavy smoke showing,” Fire Chief Gary Lange said. They were able to contain the fire to the upper floor of the story-and-a-half home, although they had to cut through a ceiling to reach the fire, which also burned a hole in the roof.

There were no injuries among the firefighters or among the home's three adult occupants, who Lange declined to identify Sunday night.

The damage left the home uninhabitable. Staff from the American Red Cross, Grant Wood Area Chapter, were called in to provide on-site assistance for the residents, who arranged temporary shelter for themselves.

Investigators from the state fire marshal's office will determine the cause of the fire, which appeared to have started in the attic, Lange said.