An early-morning house fire destroyed a vacant house at 18th and Angelique Monday morning.

“The alarm came in for a vacant home on fire,” said Capt. Jamey McVicker of the St. Joseph Fire Depaertment, “and upon arrival the entire home was engulfed in flames, so it became an exposure protection, making sure nothing else happened.”

“Damage is very extensive,” Capt. McVicker said. “Building maintenance is here. We did have a basement wall collapse.”

McVicker says they put a rush on it, because it is so close to a day care and community center. The Bartlett Center is across the street. A fire inspector was dispatched to the scene to determine what caused the fire.

There were no injuries.

The St. Joseph Police Department sent a Nixle alert at 6:46 a.m. Monday urging motorists to avoid the area of Angelique from North 18th to North 19th Street and North 18th from Messanie to Sylvanie due to street closures. The road closures were not expected to last long.