CONNOQUENESSING TWP — A house passed down through four generations of a family sustained significant damage this morning from a fire.

The three residents of 836 Whitestown Road all escaped without injury when a fire broke out around 9:45 a.m.

Owner John Thomas said he thinks the fire started in an upstairs bedroom.

“I was outside and I thought someone was burning debris, then I turned around and saw the smoke coming out,” he said.

He said he went inside and tried to get to a fire extinguisher, but turned back after getting his eyebrows singed by flames.

Thomas said the house was built in 1877 by his great-grandparents. He lives there with his wife and daughter.

Butler Township Assistant Fire Chief Dave Bestwick said he did not expect the building to be a total loss.

A state police fire marshal was asked to determine how the fire started.