Butler firefighters work to put out a house fire this morning at 120 W. Quarry St. The blaze heavily damaged the house, but all six people in the home when the fire started escaped safely.

A fire this morning heavily damaged a house near the General Richard Butler Bridge.

The fire broke out shortly before 8:30 a.m. at 120 W. Quarry St. and quickly engulfed the two-story frame house.

Rebecca Holmes rents the house with her three children, and they were home at the time of the fire, said her mother Martha Holmes, who lives next door. Also in the house were Martha Holmes' two other grandchildren.

When the fire broke out, Rebecca Holmes and the five children ran next door to her mother's house. Martha Holmes said they were frightened, but not hurt.

“They all got out safely,” she said.

Martha Holmes said her daughter turned on the furnace shortly before the fire broke out. She said her daughter lived there for about two months and appeared to lose much of her property.

She said the family will stay with her for now. She was not sure if her daughter or the property had insurance.

Firefighters from the city fire department knocked out most of the external flames by 8:40 a.m., but flames in the upper floor of the frame house rekindled after firefighters cut into the roof about 9:10 a.m.

Firefighters also worked to stop the flames from spreading to Martha Holmes' house.

About 9:45 a.m., live electrical wires connected to the house fell to the ground and sparked.

Fire officials still were working to control the fire and were not available for comment by mid-morning.

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A fire broke out shortly before 8:30 a.m. today at this 120 W. Quarry St. home. Firefighters were still working to control the fire by mid-morning.