PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Firefighters were able to quickly put out a fire at a home in Portsmouth Wednesday afternoon thanks to a couple factors in the homeowners’ favor.

The Portsmouth Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services responded to the report of a house fire in the 50 block of Greenland Blvd. around 2 p.m.

Crews arrived on scene to find light smoke coming from a single-story home. Firefighters entered the structure and within minutes they extinguished and confined the fire to a closed room.

Three adults and a child who live at the home will be temporarily displaced because of the smoke damage. No one was home when the fire broke out. A smoke alarm alerted someone walking by, who called 9-1-1.

The Portsmouth Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Fire officials said this incident emphasizes the importance of smoke alarms and closing doorways.  The smoke alarm alerted someone outside and the closed door in this case prevented additional oxygen from feeding the fire and spreading throughout the home.