The first fire just before midnight destroyed a house on the 1900 block of Fifth Avenue, according to Fire Chief Adam Free.

Upon being dispatched at 11:53 p.m. Thursday, firefighters received unconfirmed reports that a person who used a wheelchair may be living in the house, Free said.

So when firefighters arrived about 2.5 minutes later, a crew entered to search, even though the fire was burning heavily on all three floors, Free said.

But when one firefighter’s leg went through a hole in the first floor that was likely caused by the fire, the crew were ordered to evacuate because it was too dangerous, Free said.

Firefighters respond to a dwelling fire at 1910 Fifth Ave. shortly before midnight on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Altoona Fire Fighters IAFF Local 299 Facebook page

About five minutes after arriving, firefighters began to piece together information about the situation, learning that the house had been vacant, having been red-tagged by the city codes office, Free said.

After withdrawing from the house, firefighters fought the blaze “defensively,” from the exterior, according to Free.

About an hour after arriving, three-quarters of the wood-frame house collapsed, Free said.

Some firefighters received some “bumps and bruises,” he said.

Because no electric power or gas had been on at the house before the fire, it’s “a little bit suspicious,” Free said.

Because of the collapse, and because of the subsequent demolition of what remained of the house by an excavating company that the department called in, there is no opportunity to investigate further, according to Free.

A house next door that was also vacant was damaged slightly.

The owner of the house that was destroyed by fire didn’t have insurance, according to Free.

The loss is about $45,000, Free estimated.

Broad Avenue fire

The second fire after daybreak Friday damaged a house on the 3100 block of Broad Avenue.

Firefighters arrived two-plus minutes after the 7:31 a.m. alarm to find the attic burning, but all six of the seven residents who’d been home having already evacuated, Free said.

Firefighters went up through the house and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, he said.

It appears to have been an accidental electrical fire that began in a crawl space of the finished attic, Free said.

There was fire and smoke damage in the attic and water damage below, and electric and gas service were shut off following the fire, Free said.

The Red Cross is helping the residents with housing.

The incident caused about $20,000 damage, Free estimated.

Free isn’t sure if the house is insured.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.