Vacant home near Des Moines East High School destroyed in fire

A vacant home near Des Moines East High School was destroyed by fire Sunday afternoon.

Around 1 p.m., the Des Moines Fire Department responded to a fire at 910 E. 11th Street. When firefighters arrived, flames were coming from the first and second floor windows. No one was in the building and no one was injured.

The department said it believes the vacant home is being used as a homeless shelter. The cause of the fire, according to Lt. Gene Emery still unknown.

“We have a little suspicion that there was probably an open flame, perhaps a fire or something else, that was burning in an inappropriate location on the floor and that probably caused it to get out of control and spread throughout the building,” Emery said.

Emery said the department’s dog was brought to the scene for a preliminary examination. He said it was unusual for her dog to be involved. He said they collected a total of four samples that would be sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

“Based on some of the burn patterns we found on the ground, we believe an accelerant may have been used, but we cannot confirm that,” Emery said.

The home was boarded up Sunday evening, and a preliminary inspection will determine what to do next with the structure. Emery said if you see people in an abandoned building who don’t belong there, call the police.

» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

Get the latest headlines from KCCI