The fire that destroyed a house on Vine Avenue early Wednesday morning is believed to have been accidental, starting on the home’s back deck, according to an Albert Lea Fire Department official this morning.

Albert Lea Fire Department Lt. Al Schallock said the fire started on the deck of 322 Vine Ave. and moved up the side of the house and into the house. Investigators do not have an exact cause of the fire, but there are several factors that could have contributed to it.

Schallock said first, earlier in the evening, when couple Kris Schewe and Beth Sackson were awake in the house, there was a laundry basket on the kitchen stove that had started burning. Either Schewe or Sackson had taken the burning items and dumped them outside on the deck.

Second, there was also some refinishing that was being done at the house, and some stains and some rags on the deck could have resulted in spontaneous combustion.

Third, Schallock said there was also some chance that some cigarette butts thrown out could have contributed.

Schallock said whatever happened, he encouraged residents to make sure things set out like this are dried and extinguished appropriately.

The house is assumed to be a total loss though he did not have exact damage estimates.

Schewe and Sackson were sleeping as the fire grew Wednesday morning and were saved from their burning house thanks to their neighbors, the Kevin Clapper family.

Schallock said the couple said they had one smoke detector but didn’t remember it going off. He noted they were at the point of being overcome by carbon monoxide and had to be transported to Albert Lea Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

He advised residents to install working smoke detectors in their homes.

“That’s the No. 1 life-saving appliance when you’re sleeping at night,” he said.

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