Late Tuesday afternoon, Wapella Fire officials responded to two fires.

Assistant Fire Chief Jason Karr tells Regional Radio News the first fire happened shortly before 4 pm and was a house fire in the 400th block of North Chestnut that was involved in only part of the house but required several departments to respond for manpower.

Soon after the first fire was under control, a second call came in from a couple of blocks over. Karr indicates initially it was thought to be related to their first fire but they found out it was simply an issue with a basement water heater.

Karr says the cause of the fire on North Chestnut is under investigation with a cause undetermined at this time.