FREEPORT — A blaze ravaged a Franklin Street house Monday night.

Chief Jeff Weaver of the Freeport Volunteer Fire Department said the family escaped harm, but a pet ferret could not be found.

The phone directory lists Edward McClain and his daughter’s family, the Libengoods, as the residents at 548 Franklin St.

Weaver said the cause of the fire was a surge protector with too many electrical items plugged into it.

“It was overloaded,” he said. Weaver said the surge protector was in the third-floor attic bedroom.

“That’s right where it started,” he said.

Firefighters tore through walls and wood to reach the flames.

While weather was not a factor in fighting the fire, the location was.

Weaver said Franklin is too narrow for large trucks to go up, so 500 feet of hose was extended from a hydrant.

“They had to walk up the mountainside to get to the house,” he said.

Although the fire, which was extinguished in 20 minutes, was contained to the third floor, Weaver said the first two floors sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

However, he said the clothing and other items are salvageable.

Firefighters also were able to save the Libengoods’ 16-year-old son’s birthday cake.

Weaver said the family, who was staying with relatives living across the street, was not insured.

He said roughly 50 firefighters from at least 12 fire departments responded to the 9:47 p.m. call to 911.