A firefighter breaks through a side roof as crews work the scene of a house fire in the 800 block of Alabama Street on Tuesday night.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical is investigating a fire at a home at Eighth and Alabama streets on Tuesday night.

Fire Chief Bill Stark said Wednesday morning that fire investigators were on the scene at the home, at 825 Alabama St. The department had not yet issued a report on the fire as of Wednesday morning.

Two people were evacuated from the home late Tuesday as a fire spread through the residence.

About 9:30 p.m., firefighters were called to the home on reports of heavy smoke and flames coming from the exterior of the building. By 9:45, two people and two dogs had been evacuated to safety, but a house cat was unaccounted for, said Lawrence police Sgt. David Hogue.

Standing outside in the cold, next-door neighbors Jim and Debbie Alldritt said they were asked to evacuate their house as a precautionary measure while firefighters battled the nearby blaze.

“How tragic,” Jim Alldritt said as he threw his coat around his shivering wife, who was wearing only a robe. “This is everyone’s nightmare.”

Alldritt said he wasn’t aware of the fire next door until they were asked to leave their home. After that, firefighters quickly converged on the house.

“They attacked this thing. It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck.”