Four Turlock residents escaped a house fire unharmed Tuesday morning because a smoke alarm alerted them to the smoldering flames.

The Turlock Fire Department said faulty wiring was likely to blame for the fire.

The fire was reported at 3:43 a.m. Tuesday at a residence in the 200 block of Vermont Avenue. Four fire engines, 13 fire fighters and a battalion chief were called to the scene. When they arrived they found all four residents outside the house and flames coming from the crawl space under the single story home.

Fire fighters used a chainsaw to gain access to the fire and brought it under control within 10 minutes and extinguished it within 40 minutes, said Battalion Chief Gary Carlson.

The cause of the fire was faulty wiring leading to the central heating unit, according to the fire department. The fire caused moderate damage to one bedroom and a hallway.

The residents said they were asleep and awoken by the smoke detectors. The fire department said the four were sent to a hotel while repairs were made to the home.