ELYRIA TWP. — Firefighters put out a fire at a vacant home on Samuel Street this morning.

The fire, reported a little after 11 a.m. was at 42000 Samuel, which was boarded up and vacant, according to neighbors.

According to Elyria Assistant Fire Chief Ron Brlas, the house had been the scene of a previous fire, which is why it was boarded up. He didn’t know when that fire was.

The Elyria Fire Department responded, as all of Samuel Street except for 42000 appears to be in the city. 42000 is actually in Elyria Township, and the Elyria Township Fire Department was later called out.

According to Brlas, the fire seemed to start in the kitchen and traveled up an interior wall to the home’s attic, where it ignited debris.

He said smoke was showing when firefighters arrived, and they had the fire out in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Brlas said the fire investigation has been turned over to the Elyria Township Fire Department.

Since the house is vacant and has no utilities connected, however, he acknowledged it “opens up the suspicion” that the fire might have been intentionally set. He said there was “nothing visible right off hand” to indicate the fire was arson.

Brlas said that because the house had burned before and was boarded up and vacant, establishing a damage estimate for this fire would be difficult.