(KAIR)--Winter weather conditions, during a battle with an Atchison residential fire early Tuesday afternoon, sent a firefighter for hospital care "after a 35-foot ladder fell on top of him while taking it down in the icy conditions."

That word from Atchison Fire Chief Patrick Weishaar, who says the unnamed firefighter was transported from the 1026 Laramie Street location by Atchison County EMS and taken to Mosaic Life Care, in St. Joseph, Missouri, for evaluation of injuries.

Weishaar, in a release, says the call reporting the fire came in around 12:35 Tuesday afternoon; and, while they were enroute, Atchison Police alerted them that "the structure was fully involved in fire," but all occupants had been able to escape the two-story home safely.

Crews, upon arrival, found heavy smoke coming from the second floor, with firefighters able to make their way inside the smoke-filled home, extinguishing the fire where it had started once they arrived on the second floor. However, the fire had already spread to the home's attic, forcing the firefighters back outside to fight the fire defensively from the outside, now having burned through the roof, with Weishaar saying Tuesday's weather conditions made the effort "extremely difficult."

The Atchison Salvation Army is assisting the residents with temporary lodging and other necessities.

Firefighters, nearly 3 1/2 hours after the fire was reported, remained on the scene to make certain the fire was fully extinguished.

Investigators, as of late Tuesday afternoon at the scene, were working to determine the cause of the fire.