PILOT MOUNTAIN — When firefighters arrived on the scene of a reported house fire on Brown Mountain Road Saturday afternoon, heavy smoke was rolling out of the doors and windows of the house.

Westfield Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jeff Inman said the incident at about 3:45 p.m. turned out to be “a small fire, with a lot of smoke.”

The fire at 2933 Brown Mountain Road in the Westfield area of Pilot Mountain was in the basement of Chris and Paula Stone’s home and burned a couch and some floor joists above the basement ceiling.

According to Inman, a family member had attempted to burn debris like papers and such outside, but when they wouldn’t burn, the person bagged them up and set them by the woodstove in the basement with intentions of burning them later. Then the family member left the basement to take the dog out, and that’s when the fire began.

It took 50 gallons of water to extinguish the fire, Inman reported.

“We thought it was fully involved. When we arrived, heavy smoke was coming out of the upstairs windows and doors, it looked like the whole house was on fire,” he said.

The family will be displaced for some time, Inman said, as the water and septic lines as well as wiring for the home were melted, and while there was little fire or water damage, it had heavy smoke damage throughout the house.

The American Red Cross was assisting the family with lodging Saturday.

Assisting Westfield VFD on the scene were members of Pilot Knob, Francisco and Double Creek volunteer fire departments.

Reach Wendy Byerly Wood at wbyerly-wood@civitasmedia.com or at 719-1923.