Cause of Saturday fire in Cape undetermined

When the Cape Girardeau Fire Department arrived at 6:37 p.m. Saturday at 1005 S. Benton St., the house's front porch and living room were ablaze.

According to an incident report, "fire companies made an aggressive attack" and contained the flames to those areas. The entire fire reportedly was extinguished in less than 20 minutes.

The incident report described "fire and smoke" damage at a "moderate" level, requiring an estimated $30,000 to repair. The cause is still under investigation, according to Capt. Andrew Juden of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

"This is similar to a police investigation," Juden said Monday. "It could last four days. It could last four months."

No one was present inside the home and there were no injuries reported.

A house at 1005 S. Benton St. in Cape Girardeau, seen here Monday, was damaged by fire Saturday evening. The cause of the fire has not been determined.Beau Nations