By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

Weekend weather might have been cold, but firefighters battled the heat Sunday at a house fire in Marion’s 500 block of N. Cedar St.

The home was vacant, but firefighters weren’t taking chances when they arrived, Marion fire chief Preston Williams said.

“With cold weather like that you never can be too cautious,” he said. “People could be trying to find anywhere to stay that’s warm.”

The home was being renovated and still had gas and electricity, Williams said. The department found the blaze was coming out of a floor furnace that was on, he said.

“Most people turn their furnaces on when it’s still a little warmer,” he said. “When it sits for that long it collects all that dirt and dust, and kind of smells. That’s the nice thing with being able to run it before it gets really cold.”

There have been no indications of arson or foul play, but the fire still is being investigated by the fire marshal.

The fire broke out close to the home’s entrance, which made snuffing out the blaze a simple task, Williams said.