The vacant home located next to the United Church of Christ between McKinley Avenue and Lilac Lane was destroyed by fire that could be seen through the top of the home, which eventually collapsed. The site has sat nearly untouched for a year with a pile of debris somewhat hidden by a hill and trees.

Cleaning the site up is out of the city’s hands for now as ownership of the property is being clarified by the court system, according to Mayor Kim Ecklund when asked by The Post-Journal about the site on Thursday. Given the material the home had been made of, cleanup costs will be more expensive than homes not made of brick. City officials will work with the property owner once the legal case is finalized.

It’s likely things will move faster for the site of a fire Tuesday at 216 Forest Ave. Ecklund said the city is working with the property owner and their insurance company.

It’s likely the home will be demolished, but the home won’t need a city-funded emergency demolition. The city Fire Department said in its incident report there are multiple holes in the floor of the structure along with a partial collapse in the rear. The property owner, reported by the city Fire Department as Narluga Equities LLC, had insurance on the property.

Damage to a home at 216 Forest Ave. is pictured on Wednesday. P-J photo by John Whittaker

The fire resulted in minor injuries to two firefighters. The fire was reported at 6:58 p.m., with firefighters returning to quarters at 12:30 a.m. Heavy fire was reported in the rear of the property. Firefighters from Engine 3 tried to enter the first floor of the home with a hose line but couldn’t because of the deteriorating conditions inside. Crews then fought the fire from outside to reduce the amount of fire and eventually make their way inside. Fire was present in all levels of the structure, according to the incident report. Ladder 1 began using an elevated master stream until the bulk of the fire was brought under control, which allows crews to go inside the home with hose lines extinguishing the bulk of the fire inside the residence. Once the fire was under control firefighters began overhaul operations, extinguishing hidden fires and hot spots throughout the home.

There was no one inside the structure. An off-shift crew of 15 firefighters and one command officer were called to the scene as well as two fire investigators. The property had previously been condemned by the city Development Department and county Health Department for lead exposure, according to Ecklund.