An early-morning fire chased a man from a North Side home. WNIN’s John Gibson reports:
Evansville firefighters were dispatched to the house at 5201 Stratford Road at about 3:20 Friday morning.
The occupant said he woke up to the smell of smoke, opened his bedroom door, and found a wall of smoke.
He got out of the house through a bedroom window and alerted neighbors who called 911.
When firefighters arrived, they reported heavy fire at the back of the structure.
Division Chief Mike Larson said crews quickly knocked down most of the fire but it extended into the attic and firefighters had to extinguish pockets of flame.
The fire was considered out in about 30 minutes.
Larson said smoke and water damaged the living space and the Red Cross was called to assist the occupant.
There was also minor damage to the house next door
The fire originated in a screened-in back porch and was possibly caused by embers from a grill that was used hours earlier.