Firefighters battle a house fire on Main Street in Emlenton Friday night. The two-story structure was destroyed. Firefighters managed to keep flames from spreading to another home and garage nearby.

EMLENTON, Venango County — A fire of unknown origin claimed an old wooden house on Main Street on Friday night.

Tina Wolf, the house’s owner, and her three young grandchildren who she was looking after got out of the burning house safely around 5 p.m.

Her two dogs also were safely escorted out of the house with help from firefighters.

Neighbor Rob Brown said the family and animals took refuge in his house before making arrangements to stay with relatives nearby.

“What’s most important is that everybody got out safe,” he said.

American Red Cross was also called to provide relief.

More than 100 firefighters and emergency responders from 17 companies battled the blaze for more than five hours.

They arrived on scene quickly and were able to keep the fire from spreading to a neighboring house and nearby garage on the same side of the street.

Emlenton Assistant Fire Chief Barry Louise said Friday night that the burning was mainly on the second floor, the attic and the roof of the house.

“The roof is totally off the building,” he said.

Police closed Main Street between 5th Street and the eastern edge of the borough while fire engines and personnel staged in the street.

Firefighters for several hours took turns entering the building, wearing self-contained breathing apparatuses and wielding hand tools, trying to put out hot spots.

Starting around 8:30 p.m. they also started using foam to fight the fire.

The cause of the fire was unknown Friday night, though a state police marshal had been notified to investigate, Louise said.

The first floor of the house suffered extensive water damage and the structure will be considered a total loss, he said.

The two-story house, located on Main Street between 1st and 2nd streets, was formerly an auto-repair garage, he said.

Departments responding to the fire included Emlenton Ambulance Service, the Emlenton and Parker police departments and the Emlenton, Parker, Clintonville, Bruin, Eau Claire, Chicora, Perry Township, Seneca, Saint Petersburg, Rockland, Callensburg, Knox, North Washington and Petrolia fire departments.