SYRACUSE -- Investigators are trying to figure out what started a fire on Peters Street that led to the destruction of a house.
The call came in a little before 1:00 p.m. Sunday for a house fire at 116 Peters Street. Fire crews were able to contain the blaze in the living area of the home, but the fire spread quickly into the attic, an enclosed space that caused issues for the firefighters.
"It was just a very difficult fire to get to," said Deputy Syracuse Fire Chief Charlie Duffy. "We knocked down the main fire in the living area, but the attic was very difficult so I pulled our guys out, and in an effort to be safe we went into an outside operation."
The firefighters had to then cut a hole in the front of the house in order to get water to the attic. It took about 40 minutes to get the blaze under control.
The American Red Cross says they assisted 13 family members who were left homeless after the fire. The volunteers provided food, clothing and hotel arrangements for the family, which is composed of four adults and nine children.
The family was reportedly cooking with oil at the time, which caught fire and spread quickly.
