Officials responding to house fire near Fourth Avenue (updated)

Columbus Fire & EMS officials are responding to a house fire near Fourth Avenue.

Deputy Chief Greg Lang told the Ledger there were no reported injuries and the cause has not been determined.

“The first arriving unit got here and found fire coming through the front porch of the house and tried to make an attack on it,” Lang said. “Then the ceiling started coming down, so we had to back out and go to a defensive operation. That’s kind of where we’re out at right now.”

The fire is on 25th Street between Third and Fourth avenues. It appears it is an older, vacant white duplex.

Engine 1 and 9 are on the scene. The back of the house is in flames, with a lot of smoke on the front. The house is right next to 333 25th St.

Third Avenue is blocked off between 26th Street and 24th Street. The fire appeared to be under control around 2:15 p.m.

The owner, who wouldn’t give his name, said the house has been vacant about five to six months. Officials are still trying to extinguish the fire, Lang said around 4:52 p.m. Monday.

Stay with www.ledger-enquirer.com for more details on this breaking story.

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Officials responding to house fire near Fourth Avenue (updated)."