Six people were displaced from their home Tuesday afternoon when a fire heavily damaged their duplex.

The fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Tuesday at a duplex in the 1100 block of Angelus Street. According to the Turlock City Fire Department, the fire originated in a laundry room, though the exact cause is still under investigation.

The fire in the laundry room quickly grew and spread flames and smoke into the kitchen and a master bedroom.

The fire was brought under control in 10 minutes with full extinguishment soon after. The four engines that responded to the fire were able to keep the flames from spreading to the other residence in the duplex.

The kitchen and master bedroom sustained heavy damage and moderate damage was reported throughout the house. The estimated dollar loss was around $40,000, according to the fire department.

The duplex was home to three adults and three children. One occupant was asleep when the fire started and was alerted to the danger when the smoke detector started going off. The occupant was able to get out of the home through a back window.

The American Red Cross was assisting the displaced family.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.