One firefighter cut his hand on shattered glass while he was fighting the blaze, but Curia said his injuries were minor and he was treated and released at a local medical facility. "I want to say it required a couple of stitches, but I'm not positive," Curia said. The firefighter, whom Curia would not identify, was given the day off.

Fire Investigator Jody Morton said the fire started in the garage area. Inspectors searched the debris Wednesday morning, trying to determine if an electrical problem might have led to the fire, but Morton said investigators have not yet pinpointed a cause. "Based upon what I've seen at this point, it does look accidental," Morton said. "There haven't been any red flags at this point." Morton said the family was headed out of state to visit a friend or relative, but returned when they received word of the fire.

The house, which was built in 1997, is valued at $214,670 and is owned by James Freeborough, according to Durham County tax records.

Curia said about 25 firefighters had the flames under control within about 25 minutes. He said no pets were inside the house at the time of the fire and no other injuries were reported.