T-R PHOTO BY JOE FISHER A bird’s nest was the cause of a house fire on Sunday, according to Marshalltown fire marshal Josh Warnell. Damage was isolated to the exterior of the home and nobody was hurt.

No one was injured in a house fire in Marshalltown on Sunday.

The Marshalltown Fire Department received a report of a house fire at about 3:30 p.m. after the homeowner noticed smoke. Crews arrived on the scene of the fire located at 1011 W. Church Street at about 3:36 p.m.

Upon arrival, flames were spotted toward the roof of the home on its east side.

Marshalltown fire marshal Josh Warnell said a woodburner was the source of the fire, but its cause was a bird’s nest. He inspected the scene and found that the woodburner was properly installed and up to code.

“There was basically like a wooden cover on the exterior of the house — which was properly insulated so heat cannot get to other areas to cause problems,” Warnell said. “Once I inspected it I found a few dead birds that were recently deceased.”

The marshal said the homeowner had cleaned the area the week prior so the birds must have recently begun nesting as temperatures dropped.

“It only takes those birds a couple days to nest and of course it’s all dry kindling,” he said. “The amount of heat off of the woodburner was the ignition source.”

The damage was primarily to the house’s plastic siding on the east side and is estimated at $5,000. There was no damage to the interior of the home or to the adjacent home.

Marshalltown Fire Department was the only fire crew that responded to the fire. Two trucks and six firefighters were dispatched. The Marshalltown Police Department and Unity Point EMS also responded.

Warnell said very little water was needed to extinguish the flames. Foam was also used to prevent rekindling. Crews were on the scene until about 5:45 p.m.

“It’s hard to control those outside sources,” Warnell said. “Somebody was hibernating in there in a sense. It can happen. It could have been a lot worse. A quick response by our department helped in mitigating the damage.”

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Contact Joe Fisher at 641-753-6611 or jfisher@timesrepublican.com