FREEPORT, Maine — A split-level home on Griffin Road in Freeport sustained significant fire damage early Wednesday morning.

Fire crews went just after 4:30 a.m. Wednesday to 17 Griffin Road to fight a blaze that eventually “gutted” the basement and extended to the first floor, Freeport Fire Chief Darrel Fournier said.

The occupants, a couple with several children, were alerted by a working smoke detector and exited the building with no injuries, although a cat died as a result of smoke inhalation.

The fire was under control by 5:15 a.m., according to Fournier.

Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office determined later Wednesday that a space heater in a bedroom malfunctioned or combustibles near the heater caught fire.

The single-story home is owned by Marjorie Darby, according to town assessing records. Fournier said the occupants were Eyidi Ambila and his family.

Fournier estimated the damage at approximately $150,000.

Firefighters from Yarmouth, Brunswick and Durham assisted at the scene.

A firefighter was transported to a local hospital for observation, but Fournier said he was not sure about the cause of his injuries.