GARDINER — A fire that broke out Sunday afternoon at a large Gardiner house drew firefighters from more than a half-dozen communities to extinguish the flames.

Area departments responded to the call at 45 School St., which came in just before 2:30 p.m., lining the narrow neighborhood streets south of the city’s downtown neighborhood, finding smoke billowing from the rear of the house.

Firefighters doused the back of the house and opened windows on the upper floor as they fought the blaze.

Firefighters said it initially appeared the fire had begun on the back porch and traveled up the back side of the 2 1/2-story clapboard home. Later in the day, however, they said they had yet to determine where the fire had started, and the blaze would be investigated by the Office of State Fire Marshal.

Capt. Joshua Johnson of the Gardiner Fire Department said the city’s mutual aid partners were first on the scene because the department’s firefighter/paramedics were out on rescue calls, and an off-duty Gardiner firefighter brought one of the department’s engines.

Along with the Gardiner Fire and Police departments, firefighters from Augusta, Farmingdale, Pittston, Randolf, Togus, and West Gardiner responded to the blaze.