POWNAL — Firefighters from five towns responded to a fire at a two-story Pownal farmhouse late Saturday night, after a resident reported smoke coming from the basement.

The small blaze at 13 Lawrence Road was knocked down quickly and caused no injuries, according to Pownal Fire Chief Jesse Peters.

An investigation revealed a faulty fireplace as the cause.

“The fireplace was not installed properly,” Peters said. “It was not the homeowner’s problem.”

Peters said hot embers from a fire that burned throughout the day worked their way through cracks in the fireplace and ignited plywood subflooring and framing below.

“When you have a fireplace, you’re not supposed to have any framing underneath,” Peters said.

Just before the report at 10:22 p.m., Peters said, one resident awoke and noticed smoke rising through the home. She then alerted her husband, called 911, and the couple evacuated safely.

Peters said the minor damage to the home was confined to the basement.

Firefighters from Pownal, Freeport, North Yarmouth, Yarmouth, and New Gloucester responded to the fire, with firefighters from Durham providing station coverage.

dfishell@timesrecord.com