BUCYRUS — Firefighters responded to a report of a house fire on South Poplar Street in Bucyrus on Tuesday morning.

Initial reports were of a fire in the basement of one of the two residences of an adjoined residence at 570 S. Poplar St. at approximately 10:30 a.m.

The residents were not home at the time of the fire. Next-door neighbors said they noticed the smoke coming through their vents from next door and called 911.

A dog and a cat were removed from the houses.

Bucyrus Fire Department firefighters battled heavy smoke from the structure while attempting to find the source.

Residents of both sides of the structure said they had issues with the breaker boxes in the rental property recently and thought that may have been the cause. Firefighters on scene said the fire was not seen in the basement and did not think the breaker box was the cause.

Initial investigations found flames in the back of the residence where the two dwellings connect, but the cause was undetermined at that time.

The matter remains under investigation.

The Bucyrus Police Department, Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service and AEP Ohio responded to the scene.