An unoccupied

home on Buckeye Lane was damaged by a fire that extended into the structure's

attic, according to Fayetteville Fire Chief Alan Jones.

The fire in

the attic forced firefighters to call off an initial search for victims,

and it took about an hour to handle the flames so another entry could

be made, Jones said. There was a serious danger that the roof or ceiling

might collapse.

No one was

home at the time, it turned out, Jones added.

The cause of

the fire is under investigation, Jones said. Preliminary results revealed

that a fire was present in the fireplace of the home, he added.

Fire crews

were able to save much of the ground floor, Jones said.

"Most

of the fire damage was contained to the attic area," Jones said.

Between paid

and volunteer firefighters from Fayetteville and the Fayette County Department

of Fire and Emergency Services, there were over 26 people helping battle

the flames. The only injuries to firefighters came when some fell on ice

patches created by the water they used when it hardened on the ground,

Jones said.

The Street

Department responded to place sand on the ice patches, Jones added.

Response time

to the fire was delayed since the fire was originally reported at a nearby

home on Chesterfield Court, Jones said. A Fayetteville police officer

located the actual fire at 155 Buckeye Lane.

When crews

first arrived, they put out a blaze that had begun in the back yard, but

there was never a time when the fire threatened a nearby residence, Jones

said.

"Within

one hour, we had a large body of fire knocked down out there," the

chief said.