A Friday night fire in Gaston caused light smoke damage after a furnace apparently malfunction.

The fire, according to Gaston Fire Chief Ed Porter, was mostly contained to the under parts of the modular home on North Russell Street and can be repaired.

Porter said the bathroom floor and a three-foot area of the hallway were damaged.

Firefighters from Gaston and Garysburg were dispatched shortly before 8 p.m. and found the residents outside and unharmed as heavy smoke came from inside the house and dark smoke came from underneath.

They pulled hose lines and quickly extinguished the blaze within a 10-minute period, cutting holes in both the hallway and bathroom floors to access the fire.

Porter said it was one of the few fires in his long career that was attacked in this fashion.

Gaston EMS provided medical rehab while further assistance was provided by the Gaston Police Department and Northampton County Sheriff’s Office.

Fire crews remained on scene for two hours.

The cause of the fire appeared to have started from the bottom of an electric furnace within the hallway. The American Red Cross assisted with finding accommodations for the family.