Early Morning House Fire In Baltic

Crews in Baltic had a busy night. An unoccupied home went up in flames.

The call came in around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Around 20 firefighters from Baltic and Dell Rapids spent the night battling the fire and freezing temperatures.

A neighbor called the fire in and crews say the home was engulfed in flames from top to bottom when they arrived.

“I’m guessing it’s been going for quite a while, maybe just had a head start. Somebody just woke up and noticed it; either could smell something or saw the light,” Baltic Fire Chief Mike Koopman said.

Koopman says because the home was vacant, it made their job much easier. They didn't have to make the decision to send firefighters inside for a possible rescue.

"It makes that decision easier that were going to stay outside, you know like I said it was fire top to bottom when we come around the corner. You could kind of see the glow as we were all gathering at the station as well. It's just one less risk taking decision you have to make," Koopman said.

Crews surrounded the home and kept a steady supply of water on the fire. And Koopman says with something like this, the plan is to let it burn itself out.

The cause of the fire is unknown.