Steinbach's Fire Chief says nobody was hurt in a house fire this afternoon on the outskirts of the city.

The fire department was called out to Main Street on the eastern edge around two o'clock. Kel Toews says when crews arrived, there was smoke and flames shooting out of the building.

"It's probably a total loss," suggests Toews. "There's quite a bit of smoke damage in the interior."

Toews says the Office of the Fire Commissioner has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.

He guesses the damage estimate is about $250,000.

According to Toews, the homeowner came home, noticed the fire and called 911.