PHOTOS: Family of 4 escaped blaze that destroyed central Arkansas home, fire chief says

No one was hurt Wednesday evening when a fire engulfed a Maumelle house with a family of four still inside, the Oak Grove Fire Department chief said.

Chief Miles McDonnell said a neighbor knocked on the door to alert the two adults and two children, and they were able to escape the two-story house safely.

Firefighters responded at 6 p.m. to the home in the 10000 block Short Marche Road and battled the blaze for about four hours, according to the fire department. Fire crews returned to the scene multiple times Thursday to extinguish smoldering remains.

"It was such a large fire by the time we got there that we were just putting out hot spots for several hours," McDonnell said.

The chief described the building as a complete loss.

The blaze did not spread to surrounding buildings, but several structures sustained significant heat damage, according to the fire department.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters think it started in the front portion of the house where the heaviest damage was located.

No foul play is suspected.

/>