WEST LIBERTY — A fire that began in a detached shed spread to and damaged a family’s home Wednesday night.

The fire at 165 Church Road appears to have been started by an electrical malfunction in the shed, which housed a well, among other items, said Ken Taggart, chief of the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company.

Taggart identified the renters of the home as the Webb family. Two adults and two minors lived there.

One of the home’s occupants was outside working on a vehicle and saw the fire about 5:42 p.m. By the time fire crews arrived, the fire had moved to the mobile home, which is about six feet away.

“Six feet isn’t that far,” Taggart said of how the fire spread.

Damage was done to a utility room in the house that contained the washer and dryer, Taggart said. Three people who had been in the house got out safely.

Taggart estimated the damage at about $20,000.

“The shed was completely gone,” Taggart said.

He said the family is staying with other family members now, but it’s possible the home is repairable. He gave the family contact information for the American Red Cross, but was unsure if they intended on contacting the agency.

The family has rental insurance, and the home was insured by the landowner, Taggart said.

In addition to Slippery Rock, firefighters from Unionville, Eau Claire and Pine Township, Mercer County, responded. They were on the scene about three hours.