CRANBERRY TWP — A fire that chased three people out of their house early Thanksgiving morning was apparently caused by an electrical malfunction in a kitchen appliance, authorities said.

No one was hurt but the blaze caused about $120,000 in damage at the home at 507 Edinboro Court, according to fire officials.

“With the holiday, it’s going to be a struggle for that family to get through this,” said Capt. Dennis Kimmel of the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company.

Homeowner Bernadette Dambrosi was there at the ranch-style house along with a son and nephew about 3:10 a.m. Thursday when they discovered the fire in the kitchen area. The three got out safely and went to a neighbor’s house to call for help. A pet dog perished in the fire.

A neighbor said Dambrosi’s son and nephew both live there along with a second, older son who was not home at the time of the fire.

Kimmel said, “There was heavy smoke coming from the rear of the home when we arrived.”

An attack crew quickly went into the house and the blaze was under control in about 30 minutes, Kimmel said.

“Our guys did an excellent job in knocking down the fire in a matter of minutes,” he said.

The fire damage, he said, was contained to the kitchen. The remainder of the house sustained smoke and water damage.

Authorities did not know if the home and contents were insured.

Gordon Prindle, whose home is beside Dambrosi’s, said his family was awakened at 3 a.m. when firefighters knocked on their door to alert them to get ready to move out if their house was in danger of catching fire.

“I went outside and all I could think was to get Bernadette and the kids out of there,” Prindle said.

He then saw a Cranberry EMS ambulance and a woman wrapped in a blanket came over to talk to him, who turned out to be his neighbor.

“She was only able to get out of the house with the kids with what they had on their backs,” he said. “She was very lucky.”

Dambrosi was unable to save her little Shih Tzu because whenever there is a commotion, it runs to its “safe place” and hides, Prindle said.

Firefighters found the dog’s body in that place, he said.

Pringle offered Dambrosi to come over to have Thanksgiving dinner with him and his family, but she told him that she was going to a sister’s house for Thanksgiving.

A crew from a fire restoration service arrived Friday afternoon to begin damage assessment and restoration work.

Kimmel said investigators believe an electrical malfunction in a kitchen appliance, likely the refrigerator, ignited the fire.

The Butler County chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the Dambrosi family.

Stephanie Stanley, a member of the disaster response public affairs team for the American Red Cross of Southwest Pennsylvania, said they were able to provide food, clothing and shelter to two adults and two children after the fire.

Assisting the Cranberry fire department were firefighters from Zelienople and Harmony in Butler County and Marshall Township in Allegheny County.

Fire crews remained there between 2 and 3 hours.

Eagle staff writer Bob Schultz contributed to this report.