An early-morning fire caused major damage to a Freeport duplex.
Firefighters arrived at the scene of a fire at 802/804 S. Locust Ave. at 6:08 a.m. Thursday. Shortly after arrival, firefighters noticed that the first floor of the 802 apartment had collapsed and that the structure was fully involved, Deputy Chief Blair Senneff said.
It took about 15 minutes for firefighters to knock the fire down, and about two hours to put it out. An additional shift of firefighters was brought in, bringing the total number at the scene to 25, according to a news release.
The woman who lives in and owns the structure was not present at the time of the fire. Firefighters were able to rescue two cats, but one cat died in the fire.
The 802 side of the structure is a total loss, while the 804 side is seriously damaged.