An Alliance man is hospitalized in Scottsbluff after fire gutted his home early Thursday morning.

Alliance Fire Chief Troy Shoemaker says that while the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it appears it may have been intentionally set in the basement of the home at 1107 Grand Avenue.

Shoemaker cannot release the name of the fire victim at this time, but he says the adult male was pulled from a basement window by members of the Alliance Police Department.   Police spotted the fire while on patrol.

The occupant complained of having difficulty breathing, so he was taken to Box Butte General Hospital and then transferred to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.

Firefighters were notified at 3:11 a.m., and remained on scene for over four hours.  The fire was brought under control at 4:33 a.m.   20 firefighters assisted in dousing the blaze.

The fire originated near a basement stairwell in the 70-year-old house.

While the injured party was the only person in the home at the time the fire broke out, children who also resided at the resident lost several of their Christmas presents.

The Alliance Public Schools Administration Office will serve as a drop off point for those who wish to donate unwrapped Christmas gifts for the children affected by the fire.

The children are a 9-year-old girl, an 8-year-old boy and their 3-year-old sister.  The hildren’s Christmas gifts were destroyed or damaged in the fire.

Donations may be dropped off at the APS Administration Building at 1604 Sweetwater between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm Monday through Friday .

For more information, contact the APS Administration Office at 762-5475.