Thanks to a quick response and a hydrant in close proximity, area firefighters knocked down a fire within minutes Friday morning that broke out at a Main Street home.

The fire was reported at 246 Main St. at 8:18 a.m. Richmond Fire Chief Matt Roberge said Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Litchfield and Dresden fire departments responded to the scene to aid Richmond.

When Roberge arrived, there was heavy smoke billowing from the rear of the home and a small amount of smoke from the front eaves. A small amount of fire could be seen through the windows.

It took crews about 10 minutes to knock the fire down once they got the truck on scene. The fire started in a shop attached to the rear of the house and was contained to that building and the back side of the adjoining kitchen. Most of the house sustained smoke damage.

“It was a good response and there’s a hydrant across the road, and everything worked just perfect,” Roberge said.

The house is owned by Kurt Johnson, who said he was sleeping on the couch when the room started filling with the smoke. He has a K1 monitor heater and a wood stove. One flue from the stove runs into a bigger flue and black smoke rolled from the space between those flues, filling the kitchen.

He ran to his shop and tried to put the fire out there, but wasn’t able to. He ran back into the house, grabbed some clothes and left the house. A neighbor called the fire department.

Johnson, who lives alone, said he bought the house a year ago and had big plans for the home. He doesn’t have insurance. The American Red Cross responded to the fire to assist Johnson.

Johnson didn’t know what caused the fire. An investigator for the state fire marshal’s office responded but Roberge said, was unable to determine the cause of the fire.