The Blaine Amdahl family is homeless after a house fire Monday afternoon in northeast Austin.

Tuesday, December 26, 2000

The Blaine Amdahl family is homeless after a house fire Monday afternoon in northeast Austin.

Today, a State fire Marshall’s inspector is examining the ruins to determine the origin of the fire.

According to Fire Chief Dan Wilson, early indications are that the fire originated in a bedroom of the two-story home.

The Amdahls were not at home at the tie of the blaze.

Austin firefighters were called to a fire emergency at 5:33 p.m. Monday. When they arrived at the residence at 1301 Fourth Ave. NE, the interior of the home was engulfed in smoke and flames.

According to the Fire Chief, 27 firefighters were on the scene. "The cold weather didn’t hamper our efforts as much as the deep snow," said Wilson. "The firefighters had to carry more than 200 feet of 2-inch hose over and through deep snow banks."

So intense were the smoke and flames inside the house, that firefighters were pulled outside and holes were cut into the roof of the home to allow a sprinkler-type nozzle to douse the flames.

The last firefighter cleared the scene at 9:40 p.m. Monday

A neighbor, Peter Weiss, was credited with spotting the outbreak of the fire, while the Amdahls were gone, and calling 911.

The fire chief said the structure is a total loss and a substantial amount of the Amdahls’ personal possessions inside.

The Amdahls are staying at a local motel, courtesy of the Mower County chapter of the American Red Cross until finding new permanent housing.