Fire leaves Wheaton house uninhabitable

A Wheaton house was heavily damaged in a fire late Monday night, authorities said.

Firefighters were called about 11:30 p.m. to the house in the 600 block of Franklin Street. Arriving crews found heavy fire on the exterior of the chimney and extending to the interior, officials said in a news release Tuesday.

There were no reports of injuries, and all residents safely escaped the house. It took about 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

Investigators determined the cause of the fire was accidental, and it appears to have been associated with the fireplace.

The building was deemed unsafe for occupancy, and it was turned over to the owner after the fire. Damage estimates were not immediately available.

Wheaton firefighters were assisted by Wheaton police and several neighboring fire departments.