Fire Chief Jason Whiteley says they got the call on a working fire just after 11:30 a.m. in the Graniteville area of the city.
Witnesses saw a large plume of smoke coming from the building that almost created a fog-like atmosphere around the neighbourhood.
"We got a call of a working fire possibly in the basement," he said.
"When they arrived on scene what they encountered heavy smoke coming out of the eves, the main floor, and the basement area. Crews immediately went in to attack the fire. We were able to do a search of the first floor to check for any victims or potential casualties. We did have fire on the first floor and the basement area which had gone up the walls and breached the floor."
Whiteley says the residents were able to get out of the house without sustaining any injuries. He says crews were hampered fighting the blaze due to the basement windows that were boarded up.
"They (the residents) were out before we arrived on the scene so we are still actively in the firefight," said Whiteley.
"We have got the fire knocked down, however, there are still some sections in the wall and the areas we are still working hard to get at. Basement fires are some of the toughest fires to contain because we are above the fire and have to go through the heat to get to the heart of the fire."
Whiteley says it is too early to determine a cause at this point.
