AUBURN — A blaze that apparently started in a fireplace Friday night quickly spread to the rest of the house at 33 Joseph Lane, but firefighters quickly arrived and contained it.

An Auburn fire official at the scene said the sole occupant of the home, Aaron Jennings,  lit a fire in the fireplace, then went to his basement to do laundry. The man soon heard a smoke alarm, and when he went upstairs to check, the house was ablaze, the fire official said.

Jennings was doing renovation work on the house, so it was mostly gutted before the fire, which helped it spread more quickly. 

The fire was reported at 11:09 p.m. and firefighters responded quickly to the scene and were able to knock it down quickly. 

Estimated loss is $60,000, and the house is covered with insurance. 

There were no injuries. 

Jenning’s is currently being put up by the Red Cross.

Responding departments were Auburn, Lewiston, Mechanic Falls, Poland, and Minot.