APPLETON (NBC 26) — Heavy smoke poured out of an Appleton house as firefighters worked to battle the blaze in "zero visibility conditions" on Thursday evening.
The Appleton Fire Department was called to a house fire in the 200 block of South Fidelis Street in Appleton.
Appleton Fire Department Public Education Specialist Alex Quintana said the house is currently "unlivable," and the fire left $175,000 in damage.
"We found a lot of extensive smoke damage that made the home uninhabitable to the tenants," Quintana said.
She said fire crews had the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but it took them a while to find the source of where the fire was, which they believe started in the basement.
Quintana added that the smoke was so heavy that firefighters had to fight the fire with zero visibility.
A family of four, including two children, lived in the home, but Quintana said everyone got out safely.
"There was also a rescue of a guinea pig that we believe came from the second floor, and the firefighters took that outside, and the owner picked it up and it was moving around, so it was in good health," she said.
As of now, she said it is unknown if the house is a total loss or if it can be saved. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
