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Residential storage structure engulfed in flames Thursday morning, Des Moines Fire Department says

No injuries were reported as of Thursday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A structure attached to a Des Moines home became "fully engulfed in flames" around 4 a.m. Thursday, according to the Des Moines Fire Department.

The storage structure was attached to a residence near East 23rd Street and Capitol Avenue. The department said a garage also suffered damage but is still standing.

DMFD does not yet know if anyone was in the building at the time, but as of Thursday morning, no injuries had been reported.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Ahman Douglass with DMFD expressed concern with the danger that comes with colder weather.

"Typically right now, the colder it gets, we have to be a little more concerned with the different ways that people are trying to stay warm," Douglass said. "The firefighters down there, they're dealing with cold and they're wet. There's a lot of ice accumulation on the ground. So, there's always a chance of a slip-and-fall injury."

Douglass said crews will spend the rest of the morning cleaning up, and they might need to bring in heavy equipment to raise the building so that investigators can better sort through the rubble to find the cause.

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