A fire marshal is investigating the cause of a blaze that extensively damaged a single-story home Monday afternoon in the Sewickley Township village of Herminie.

No one was injured in the fire reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. in the 30 block of Fifth Street, according to Herminie fire Chief Joe Marincic.

A man who is the home’s sole occupant wasn’t home when the fire broke out and will be staying with relatives, Marincic said.

The fire began in the basement and also caused damage to the home’s main floor, according to Marincic. Smoke was showing from the home’s exterior when the first of about a dozen fire departments arrived at the scene, he said.

He said firefighters carried a refrigerator outside because the floor wasn’t stable.

“I’m just happy that nobody was in the house,” said neighbor Jill Wood, who saw the dwelling was on fire as her children were getting home from school and she was taking out the garbage.

“I looked over and there was smoke coming out of the attic,” Wood said. “It got a lot worse really fast.”

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