Authorities are investigating whether a house fire and a car chase that occurred early Monday are connected.
Emergency crews responded to a report of a structure fire near the 700 block of Smith Street around 6 a.m. Monday. During the incident, police officers noticed a suspicious vehicle near the property, according to the Stevens Point Police Department. When officers tried to make contact with the driver, a 17-year-old boy, he drove away.
Officers from the police department and deputies with the Portage County Sheriff's Officers pursued the teenager in a chase that involved excessive speeds and stretched for more than 21 miles, according to the department. The chase concluded in the Amherst area. No one was injured. The police department didn't specify whether officers arrested the teen.
Officers have not determined if the fire and the chase are related, according to the department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.