AMARILLO, TEXAS -- At approximately 7p.m., Christmas Day firefighters responded to a house fire in the 2700 block of Virginia Circle.
According to a news release from the Amarillo Fire Department, the fire started in utility/ventilation shaft when an occupant of the residence tried to use a torch to thaw frozen pipes and a spark from the torch ignited sawn wood and started the fire.
There were no injuries reported and the fire was contained to the first floor of the multifamily residence.
The estimated property loss at the incident was $5,000 with an estimated content loss of $500.
A fire alarm was present at the scene but had failed to activate due to missing or disconnected batteries.
