A fire that destroyed a rural Watkins home Jan. 23 was likely caused by the electrical system, State Fire Marshal Casey Stotts said last week.

Stotts said the fire appeared to have started in the basement of the two-story farmhouse, 34289 CSAH 2, Watkins.

“There was old wiring in the house. It was a very old house,” he said.

The Watkins Fire Department responded to the fire at the Cheri Lynn Brausen’s residence around 2:15 p.m. after an employee for Violia Garbage Co. reported smoke coming from the basement. Upon arrival, fire crews found the lower level of the house engulfed in flames.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Watkins Fire Chief Walter Kramer said crews battled the fire for five hours in single-digit temperatures. By then, however, the upstairs floor had fallen through and the main floor wasn’t safe. Crews remained throughout the night to put out hot spots.

“We figured the hot spots would start up again, but there was no way to get at them because of the floors,” he said.

The cold conditions made fighting the fire difficult because dripping water froze to helmets and gear. While the firefighters were bundled up, the ice made the ground slippery and steam inside the house made it hard to see, Kramer said.