Fire officials still don't know what caused a fire to destroy a Palmetto home early Friday.
According to North River Fire Department, the blaze erupted just after 2 a.m. at a home shared by three families near the intersection of 4th Street West and 7th Avenue.
The fire spread fast in the wood-frame, 2-story home, authorities said. All of residents made it out safely.
"The people in the back side heard a noise and woke up and saw smoke," said John Rigney, fire marshal for the North River Fire Department. "They started screaming to a neighbor, and when they opened the door, it was so bad they had to go out through a window. They all went to a safe area."
According to Palmetto Fire Rescue, the fire burned so hot it melted the siding of a home across the street. Firefighters needed three hours to put the fire out. Crews were concerned with the structure collapsing during the fire.