-Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Hans Madsen Gowrie Assistant Fire Chief Keith Streit hits one of the last hotspots with water at the scene of a house fire at 3459 Oak Ave. near Dayton Wednesday. Crews from Dayton, Harcourt, Stratford, Boxholm, Gowrie and Lehigh responded. The fire was confined to an upstairs bedroom. There were no injuries Gowrie Assistant Fire Chief Keith Streit hits one of the last hotspots with water at the scene of a house fire at 3459 Oak Ave. near Dayton Wednesday. Crews from Dayton, Harcourt, Stratford, Boxhold, Gowrie and Lehigh responded. The fire was confined to an upstairs bedroom.

DAYTON — A house fire in a rural home at 3459 Oak Ave. near Dayton has left a family without a place to live Wednesday.

The fire was reported shortly after 10 a.m.

Shawna Hart, who lives at the home, was home with her four children.

“We were downstairs doing the Easy-Bake Oven thing when the smoke alarm went off,” she said.

Hart left the home with her children and called 911.

She said the toy oven had nothing to do with the fire which was in an upstairs bedroom in the rear of the home.

Hart will not be able to return to the fire-, smoke- and water-damaged home.

“Now we just need to find someplace to live,” she said.

She said the family will temporarily stay with family members.

Initially, the fire didn’t appear to be very serious.

As she watched crews working, it flared up.

“Flames were coming out of the roof and everything,” she said.

Dayton Fire Chief Nick Dunbar said his crews found the home full of smoke when they arrived. The flare up occurred when crews began ventilating the structure, which gave the small fire extra oxygen. Crews quickly brought it under control.

Dunbar said crews spent much of their time trying to pinpoint hotspots after getting the fire under control quickly. He said the most likely cause appeared to be a space heater in the bedroom.

Firefighters from Stratford, Harcourt, Boxholm, Gowrie and Lehigh helped out with equipment and manpower. Dayton Rescue Squad and Dayton police were also on the scene.

Firefighters were on the scene for several hours.

The home is owned by Steve Grottenberg and Darla Trenary.

They were very grateful the family didn’t get hurt.

“Thankfully the family that rents the home got out safely due to working smoke alarms,” they said in an email message.