Floor furnace ignites fire that damages Visalia home

A floor furnace caused a fire that damaged a Visalia home Wednesday night.

Firefighters were dispatched to the house in the 400 block of West Murray Avenue at 10:15 p.m.

The tenants were not home at the time and arrived after the fire was put out.

The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. A floor furnace had combustible materials set on top it. The American Red Cross was notified to assist the family of four that was living there, the Visalia Fire Department said.

The estimated damage to the house was approximately $40,000. The property was estimated to be valued at $150,000. An additional $15,000 in damage was caused to the contents in the house.

The fire department reminded residents to keep combustibles at least three feet away from built-in or portable space heaters, especially as the weather gets colder.

This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Floor furnace ignites fire that damages Visalia home."