Alden, MN (KROC AM News) - A house in the small Freeborn County town of Alden was heavily damaged after a fire broke out Tuesday.

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office says the fire was reported just before 8:00 PM. Firefighters arrived to find thick smoke coming out of the second-floor windows. No one was home at the time of the fire.

The sheriff’s office says upon initial investigation, it appears the fire may have started near a clothes dryer. The State Fire Marshal's Office has been called to assist in the investigation.

The home is a rental that is owned by Leah and Theodore Jacobsen of Owatonna.

Alden is located about 15 miles west of Albert Lea.

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