EASTHAMPTON — A city family was displaced by a fire that broke out Wednesday morning at their Everett Street home, the Fire Department reported.

The fire was called in at 8:37 a.m. by the sole occupant who was safely outside when crews arrived. They found flames coming from the first floor of the multistory structure.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the room of origin and to limit damage to the neighboring business.

Fire Chief Christopher Norris said the fire originated in a closet area, and crews had it under control quickly. The neighboring structure is only a short distance from the home, and Norris commended firefighters for minimizing heat damage to that structure.

Although the fire was contained to one room, it caused significant smoke and heat damage throughout the remainder of the home. The owners are working with their insurance company to determine the extent of their losses, Norris said.

Officials said the cause of the fire was found to be careless disposal of smoking materials. The investigation was conducted by the Easthampton Fire Investigation Unit and the state fire marshal’s office.

“They did have working smoke alarms, which did alert the occupants,” Norris said. The house did not have a sprinkler system, he said.

According to online information, the house is owned by Rob O’Connell and Karima Rizk. The American Red Cross is assisting them, their daughter and dogs with accommodations, fire officials reported. A fundraising effort on the Meal Train site had raised $3,648 as of lunchtime Thursday.

Southampton Fire Department, Northampton Fire Rescue, Barnes Air National Guard, Holyoke Fire Department, South Hadley Fire District 1, and the Easthampton Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) provided mutual aid.

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