A fire early Tuesday morning has caused significant damage to a house in downtown St. John’s.

Multiple 911 walls were received shortly after 4:00 a.m. reporting the fire at a home on Lime Street. When firefighters from nearby Central Fire Station arrived a few minutes later they found fire and smoke coming from an exterior wall, near a dryer vent.

After investigating further, crews discovered fire in a basement crawl space, accessible from outside the home. There was significant fire damage in that area, with fire spreading up the wall to an area near the front door. Firefighters had to cut into the wall from both sides to access and extinguish hot spots.

Six people were home at the time of the fire. All occupants escaped uninjured, but are currently displaced as a result of the fire. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.