Area fire marshals are working to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a vacant home in Temple Sunday afternoon.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the home at 610 South 23rd Street at 4:32 PM. When they arrived, they saw smoke and heavy flames issuing from the rear of the home and noticed a downed power line in the back yard that had been damaged by fire.

The fire was under control by 5:05 PM. A Temple police officer was credited with using a handheld fire extinguisher to to keep burning grass from spreading the fire to a home next door.

Fortunately, fire crews found no signs that the home was occupied at the time of the fire.

Thomas Pechal with Temple Fire & Rescue estimated the dollar loss to the house at $40,000. The rear of the home and a nearby store building received the most damage.

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