The South Jacksonville and Jacksonville Fire Departments responded to a structure fire at a home located at 1422 East Lafayette Avenue just after 10 o’clock Monday morning.
The caller told West Central Joint Dispatch that they heard a loud pop or bang and then saw flames coming from the rear of the single-story home.
Officials on the scene said no one was home at the time of the fire. The rear of the structure had collapsed and the entire first floor is a complete loss.
The origin and cause of the fire remains under investigation. Members of the Illinois State Fire Marshal are currently handling the investigation. Fire crews were on scene for a little over three hours on Monday.
According to the Journal Courier, the renter of the home lost three cats in the blaze. A fourth cat was still missing as of this morning. Firefighters told the Journal Courier that the fire is currently deemed suspicious because the house had been unoccupied for a day and the doors were locked when firefighters arrived.