POULSBO — A young family is without a home after a fire heavily damaged their house on NE Rova Road, Nov. 30.

At 11:40 a.m., Poulsbo Fire Department was dispatched to the home after the 25-year old homeowner reported flames in the basement.

Neighbors heard the commotion nearby, but as their narrow one-lane road quickly filled with six fire trucks and three ambulances, they realized things were getting serious.

David Michael, a neighbor, said, “I was just out putting up my Christmas lights when I heard the sirens. I looked out and the whole street was filled. I hope everyone’s OK.”

Flames from the basement quickly took hold of the home. Fire personnel from North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, and Navy Region NorthWest also went to the scene.

The family of four — husband, mother, and two young sons — were not injured. The mother and 2-year-old son were home when the fire began. The mother, who called 911, reported seeing smoke and flames on the basement walls. The cause was under investigation.

The family purchased the home in April. They have no family in the area. “We’re working with the Red Cross to get the family put up in a hotel for a few nights, to help with their funding,” Poulsbo Fire spokeswoman Jody Matson reported.

Matson reported there was significant smoke damage to the home, spanning from the basement walls to the eaves. That, combined with water damage, make the home uninhabitable for the family at this time.

The 30-year-old husband, with his wife and young son, sat inside their parked Jeep in the driveway, the vehicle running to keep them warm as they watched. Their 4-year-old son was still at preschool.

“She’s visibly upset,” Matson said, referring to the mother. The mother declined comment; tears streamed down her face.

A voice over Matson’s handheld radio interrupted the smoky silence to report, “Very little smoke seems to be dissipating” from inside the home. The Red Cross arrived at 12:55 p.m. to assist the family as firefighters searched the home for hotspots.

“… These trucks will be here for a while,” Poulsbo Fire Chief Jeff Griffin said.