Signs of criminal damage were evident at the scene of a Wednesday morning house fire at 15 Chisholm Trail, on the southeast side of Great Bend.

Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Great Bend Fire Department firefighters were dispatched to the house around 5 a.m. The home owner was not home at the time, Undersheriff Larry Holliday reported. Fire crews quickly extinguished a fire in the southwest corner and attic area of the residence. The initial investigation of the area showed windows had been broken on the home and on a vehicle, and damage had been done to a boat.

The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to help investigate the origin of the fire. The investigation is ongoing by the BCSO.