By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
Saline County Rural Fire District No. 1 and the Sheriff's Office responded to a structure fire Thursday morning that had already burnt out when first responders arrived.
According to Saline County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jim Hughes, firefighters, and deputies arrived at the rubble pile at 11:55 a.m. and found the abandoned two-story house destroyed but empty of any residents or belongings.
"We made contact with the property owner, and through talking with the property owner and some other people in the area out there, we determined that more than likely, the fire transpired sometime from the mid-morning hours on the 27th until the time it was discovered," Hughes said.
Two people doing business with the property owner discovered the fire Thursday morning after visiting the location for some hog panels.
The cause and the exact time of the fire are unknown, but today, the Kansas State Fire Marshal is investigating it.
The estimated damage to the property is $100,000.
"Fortunately, it was rural Saline County," Hughes said. "There were no other residences around and a limited number of outbuildings directly close to the structure, so we're fortunate that the fire did not spread to some type of vegetation."