A Manchester house burned early Friday morning, leaving one person without a home.

Manchester fire Chief Steve Caswell said the department was called to 69 Myrtle St. at about 4:30 a.m., where crews discovered a single-family home involved in flames.

The only occupant of the home evacuated safely, he said — as did a cat and two pet turtles.

With a second alarm struck for additional manpower, crews from eight area fire departmentsfought the flames for more than four hours, clearing the scene shortly before 9 a.m. Temperatures in the teens and the early timing of the call made the response more difficult than usual, Caswell said.

The home is a total loss, Caswell said. The sole occupant of the home has connected with family in the area, he said.

Caswell said he could not comment on the cause of the fire — he had already passed along information to the Office of State Fire Marshal, which is investigating, he said.

Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, which includes the fire marshal’s office, did not immediately respond.