JAY — A family of four escaped unharmed Sunday morning when fire heavily damaged the home they occupied at 7 Jewell St.

Logan Pollis and her boyfriend, Wade Hubbard, and an 8-year-old boy and a 6-month-old girl escaped the house unharmed, Fire Rescue Chief Mike Booker said. An 11-year-old girl was not home, he said.

A dog and two cats escaped; a third cat perished in the blaze.

A neighbor tried to put the flames out with a garden hose before firefighters arrived.

State fire investigator Chris Stanford of the Office of State Fire Marshal was on the scene Monday to try and determine origin and cause of the fire.

About 40 firefighters from Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls, Wilton and Farmington Fire Rescue’s Rapid Intervention Team responded. Two NorthStar EMS ambulances responded along with Jay police officer David Morin. The fire was reported just after 10:30 a.m. Firefighters cleared the scene about 12:30 p.m.

The single-story house with a daylight basement is owned by Donna Jewell and was insured. As far as Booker knew, the couple were in the process of buying the house but did not have rental insurance, he said.

The family stayed at a neighbor’s home Sunday. The American Red Cross was contacted to help them.