NILES — A fire that started Tuesday evening on Oak Street damaged a home and temporarily displaced a family of six.

Firefighters responded to the blaze which occurred at 6:24 p.m. at 1309 Oak St.

Niles Fire Department Captain Don Wise said the fire originated in a small room on the second floor. He said several of the family members were in the house at the time of the blaze.

Wise said that the family was alerted to the fire when the wife heard a loud popping noise. The husband went to investigate the upstairs area, where he saw smoke and the glow of the fire.

The family evacuated and no injuries were reported. Wise said it is not clear how many family members were in the house at the time of the blaze, but that everyone escaped. 

Firefighters from Niles and Niles Township responded to the blaze. It took about 20 minutes for the firefighters to get the fire under control.

“We were able to get under control pretty quick,  but there was extensive damage,” Wise said.

While the structure of the home was not damaged, many of the family’s possessions were ruined. There was also heavy smoke and heat damage on the second floor and water damage to the first floor of the home. Wise estimated that there will be about $20,000 to $25,000 worth of repairs, which must be made before the home can be habitable. The Red Cross was called to assist the family at the scene.

Authorities also shut down part of Oak and 13th streets for about an hour so as to have unobstructed access to fire hydrants. SMCAS and the Niles Police Department also responded to the scene.

The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time. Electrical causes have not been ruled out, according to Wise.

Wise reminded residents to be sure to check their smoke detectors. He said the Oak Street home did not appear to have smoke detectors on the second floor.