A fire destroyed a historic home Tuesday morning in Nebraska City.
Fire crews from four nearby towns helped Nebraska City volunteer firefighters put out the blaze.
KETV NewsWatch 7 spent the day at the scene.
Fire officials said the house was built in the mid- to late 1800s. It had been remodeled and was being used to house four different apartments.
The fire broke out at about 4 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators said it started in the kitchen ceiling of one of the apartments.
Investigators said the cause appears to be electrical wiring that went bad. All five residents escaped safely.
Sean and Winee Benedict said they lost nearly everything.
"We just got new furniture for our living room and kitchen chairs yesterday for Christmas from my parents. It was everything," Winee Benedict said.
Investigators said the house is a total loss. There is no word yet on the damage estimates.
Fire crews said they had to demolish part of structure because there was concern about a wall that was leaning outward.
They tore down part of the house to make sure it would not collapse.
The American Red Cross was called in to help.
NewsWatch 7 was told that the fire victims are staying with family members in Nebraska City.
