Fire causes extensive damage to Wheaton home

A fire left a Wheaton house uninhabitable Wednesday afternoon.

A passerby noticed the blaze on the 200 block of South Washington Street about 1:15 p.m. and called 911.

The fire, which authorities say started in a basement clothes dryer, spread all the way to the attic, according to a Wheaton Fire Department news release.

The residents were not home at the time.

Firefighters had the blaze under control within 45 minutes, the news release said.

A damage estimate was not available Wednesday night.