Tacoma fire fighters responded Monday afternoon to a house fire in the 3400 block of 55th Avenue in Northeast Tacoma. According to Tacoma Fire spokesperson Joe Meinecke, fire fighters arrived at the scene to find heavy flames and smoke inside the garage area and on the side of the 1,412-square-foot tri-level house. Crews attacked the fire with handlines, conducted vertical ventilation to release the heat built up in the attic area, and completed search and rescue to assure no one was in the structure. Crews rescued three pet birds. There were no injuries to report. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.