New owner had not yet moved into house
Waupaca firefighters responded to a house fire at 110 High St., in the city of Waupaca around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12.
The resident of the house was not there at the time, and the fire was called in by someone passing by.
The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office and Waupaca Police Department were on the scene before the fire department arrived.
The fire started in the kitchen and vented itself through the roof in that area.
After entering the house, crews noticed two holes burned through the floor in the kitchen area.
They then checked the basement for any fire extension.
The fire was contained to the north end of the house.
Fire crews pulled the ceilings down in three rooms, because the house was insulated with sawdust shavings.
The department was on the scene until about 6 a.m., and was assisted by fire departments from Weyauwega and Scandinavia.
Haley Guyer recently purchased the home and had not moved in yet.
She was there staining floors until 11 p.m. when she returned to her current residence.
Guyer said she had placed several rags with stain on them inside a sealed plastic bag, which may have caused the fire to break out.
Capt. Chuck Whitman said the stain-soaked rags were a “probable cause” of the fire, but it remains under investigation.
He noted that nobody was hurt by the fire.