It happened around 3am at a home on Longmont near S Post Oak in west Houston.
Fire officials say the homeowner fell asleep with the fire still burning in the fireplace. Firefighters say the man woke up to his fire alarm going off and thanks to that, he was able to escape without injury.
Fire crews say the fireplace was small and at this point, they believe it couldn't withstand the amount of heat. The fire was just starting to burn the walls and floor around it and spread from there.
"Once they opened up the walls, they found the fire had traveled quite extensively through the walls and ceiling," said Jay Evans with the Houston Fire Department. "So there is going to be an extensive amount of damage to the inside of this home.
The homeowner was the only person inside when the fire broke out. There is an estimated $200,000 in damage to the home.
