Fire In Basement of Residence in Lancaster

The Lancaster Fire Department and EMS were dispatched to the 900 block of West Cherry Street at 10:51pm on Monday for a reported fire in the basement of a residence.   Upon arrival, moderate smoke was visible from the upper floors of the residence.  Fire crews extinguished the basement fire, ventilated the residence and removed smoldering materials from the basement.  No persons were injured in the fire.  Homeowners were able to safely evacuate two dogs from the residence prior to the arrival of the fire department.  One cat perished in the fire.  The house had fire damage in the basement and moderate smoke damage to the upper levels.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Other agencies involved in the response included the Lancaster Police Department, Fennimore Fire Department, Alliant Energy and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.