Crews battle Independence fire

Crews battled a house fire for hours early Friday morning.

Fire fighters arrived at around 8 a.m. Friday to find a home at 2112 215th St., just east of Independence, filled with smoke and flames.

The damage is centered around the fireplace on all three floors of the house. Investigators believe that's where the fire started, but they are continuing to investigate any other potential causes. The Independence fire chief said about 50 percent of the home was damaged.

Crews worked for a hours to get all of the hot spots out. The fire got up into the home's walls.

Two people live in the home, but no one was home when the fire started.

The homeowner said he was away from home getting his truck fixed when his son found him in to tell him the house was on fire. Officials would not let him into the house to see the damage for more than an hour.

Fire crews said it was tough to fight the fire. The location, with icy roads and snow, made it tough for the large trucks to access.

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