A house in Gaston was declared a total loss following a fire early this morning that appears to be linked to a space heater placed too close to a heater.

Three occupants at the house on West Hill Street escaped without injury, Gaston Volunteer Fire Chief Ed Porter Jr. said this morning. A male occupant broke out a window to get out of the house, which was engulfed when firefighters arrived.

They were assessed by EMS and then taken to Halifax Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Porter said.

Gaston Fire and Rescue was dispatched around 1:30 this morning. The fire was controlled within five minutes by firefighters from both Gaston and Garysburg.

Firefighters remained on scene for almost three hours. Two lanes of 48 Highway were closed and law enforcement officers from both Gaston and Northampton County provided scene and traffic control. The fire is suspected to be caused by a kerosene space heater placed too close to a dresser in a bedroom.

With temperatures expected to be cold for most of the rest of this week and next week, Porter said, “Be aware of the heaters and keep them away from anything that's flammable. Even if it's one or two feet from wooden furniture it can dry the wood out.”