Heavy fire damage to the first floor ceiling at 893 Broadway where flames spread as occupants slept. — Photo courtesy of Somerville Fire Department.

Somerville firefighters responded to a house fire at 893 Broadway at 3:11 a.m. this morning, December 8, 2014. Firefighters found heavy fire conditions in the ceiling of the first floor living room which was spreading into several adjacent rooms and the floor above

Firefighters had to open up numerous walls and ceilings to get ahead of and extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire has been determined to be a defective fireplace on the second floor. The fire burned unnoticed in the void space beneath the fireplace for quite some time as the residents slept. The two family home suffered approximately $200,000 in fire, water and smoke damage and is presently uninhabitable. Five occupants have been displaced. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. Firefighters cleared the scene at 530 a.m.

— Somerville Fire Department