Firefighters Monday battle the blaze at the Thomas home on Whitestown Road in Connoquenessing Township. A fire official said the residence suffered significant damage from fire, water and smoke.

CONNOQUENESSING TWP — A house passed down through four generations sustained significant fire damage Monday morning.

The three residents of 836 Whitestown Road — John and Susan Thomas and their adult daughter, Amanda — all escaped without injury when a fire broke out around 9:45 a.m.

John Thomas said he thinks the fire started in an upstairs bedroom.

“I was outside and I thought someone was burning debris, then I turned around and saw the smoke coming out,” he said.

He said he went inside and tried to get to a fire extinguisher, but turned back after having his eyebrows singed by flames.

Deputy Fire Marshal DuWayne Baird said this morning that his investigation so far points to smoking by Amanda in her bedroom as the cause of the blaze.

He said that Amanda told him that she had dumped an ashtray into a plastic waste can in her bedroom and left.

Upon returning to the bedroom about 20 minutes later, she found the room on fire.

Baird said a second fire occurred at the house about 5:15 a.m. today that further burned the already damaged roof.

Baird estimated damage at $250,000 from the initial fire.

The Thomas family is staying at a hotel.

John Thomas said the house was built in 1877 by his great grandparents.Butler Township Assistant Fire Chief Dave Bestwick said the fire was primarily contained to the roof and the rear portion of the house. The front half of the house suffered smoke and water damage.The flames were through the roof when firefighters responded, though they knocked them down in less than an hour.The Connoquenessing Township, Prospect, Penn Township, Harmony and Evans City fire departments also responded.<i>Eagle staff writer Jim Smith contributed to this report.</i>

Flames break through the roof of the Thomas home Monday morning.