Second time house caught fire

EPHRATA - A fire destroying a vacant residence Wednesday morning on Alder Street in Ephrata is being investigated as arson.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ephrata Fire Chief Jeremy Burns was helping to board all entrances to a vacant residence next door to the residence that burned. He said it's to help prevent someone from coming back inside the house to start a fire.

Burns was the first to arrive at the scene Wednesday morning. He said the house was fully engulfed by flames.

The Ephrata Fire Department and Grant County Fire District No. 13 extinguished the flames after approximately 45 minutes, he said. The fire was reported at about 1:15 a.m. and firefighters remained at the scene until about 3 a.m.

All rooms in the house were ravaged by the fire leaving all the interior walls charred and black. The fire began inside the house at the rear of the structure, possibly with fuel, Burns said. The gutted house remains lined with cautionary tape.

The vacant house next door was not damaged and storage units located on the other side of the house were not damaged. There were no injuries.

The vacant house first caught fire Oct. 26. The cause of the first fire was previously undetermined.

People with information about the fire are asked to contact the Ephrata Police Department at 509-754-2491.