A two-alarm house fire late Thursday afternoon destroyed a home in West Salem and displaced five residents and their pets.

A dark column of smoke was visible in West Salem Wednesday, prompting responders to raise the fire to a second-alarm level, the Salem Fire Department said on social media .

Firefighters arrived on scene several minutes after the fire was reported at 4:44 p.m., dispatch records show. The fire was reported at 1579 Kenard St. N.W.

A total of 15 fire vehicles responded to the scene, according to dispatch records. It took firefighters two and a half hours to extinguish the flames and clear the scene. The department estimated the damage at $500,000.

A 19-year-old was home when the fire first started and safely evacuated to a neighbor’s house, according to the fire depa

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