Early morning fire damages frat house

An early morning fire caused about $45,000 worth of damage to a fraternity house in the 1700 block of 8th Avenue in Greeley on Saturday.

The fire began about 4:09 a.m. in an enclosed back porch. Union Colony Fire/Rescue Authority firefighters responded to the call and evacuated the building. No one was injured. It took about 25 firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze, Union Colony Fire/Rescue Authority Battalion Chief Greg Thompson said.

The fire started in the enclosed back porch of the three-story house and did some damage to the back of the building as it tried to reach its way up into the second and third floor windows, Thompson said.

Authorities are still investigating the fire, although cigarette smoking in the back porch may be a possible cause, Thompson said.