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The Duluth Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 2413 W 3rd St at 0529 hours this morning.  Upon arrival 2E reported a fully involved house that appeared to be vacant.  The heavy fire involvement did not allow firefighters to search the building for occupants.  It did not appear that anyone inside the building at this time would have survived the fire.

The primary concern was to prevent the fire from spreading to the exposure house on the east side of the involved structure.  Hose streams were set up to keep the fire in check and to wet down the exposure house.  One of the initial crews began an interior attack, but the extent of the fire required that they be called back out with an evacuation signal and radio message.

Defensive operations were set up with 3 master stream devices, two on aerial apparatus and one on an articulating snorkel on 3 Engine.  Heavy smoke banked down on the neighborhood when the streams were played on the fire so they were shut down  after a short time to increase visibility and allow firefighters to again use handstreams through the building openings to knock down the fire on the lower levels.

The building was totally destroyed by the fire with a total loss of $15, 700.  No firefighters or civilians were injured at the fire.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.