Firefighters from several companies spent their Fourth of July battling a fire that gutted a Palmerton home and damaged two others.

The fire started in the kitchen of a home at 113 Lehigh Ave. and quickly spread to the other half of the double home, according to Palmerton Fire Chief Larry Zawaly.The fire was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. and was declared under control at 5 p.m., Zawaly said. The fire started with something on the kitchen stove and quickly spread through the kitchen and the walls, shooting up through the roof.Zawaly said the side where the fire started is gutted. The other side has sustained damage in the attic and roof area, as well as water damage. That half was being renovated, so no one was living there at the time.Palmerton, Bowmanstown and Aquashicola fire companies were on scene as well as the Walnutport Rapid Intervention Team.A neighboring house also sustained heat damage.A firefighter was taken to the hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion.Firefighters were called back at 7 p.m. for a rekindle.No other injuries were reported.