A heating-related incident is believed to have sparked a two-alarm house fire in Washington Township Wednesday morning.

Slatington Borough Fire Chief Jason Nicholas said the fire broke out at 7:42 a.m. at a half-double home at 2880 Cemetery St., just outside the borough limits.

Nicholas said initially Slatington, Friedens and Emerald fire departments along with Northern Valley EMS were dispatched

He said the ambulance confirmed there was a working fire within a minute of dispatch.

Nicholas said Neffs, Slatedale, Lehigh Township and Palmerton fire departments were called for the second alarm, and additional tankers were called from Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill counties.

Nicholas said the fire was heavily involved in the first floor of the 2880 side, before it spread into the second floor and into the roof, where it got into the second floor and burned out the attic and second floor of the other half of the house.

He said the 2880 side is a total loss, while the other half of the house sustained major water and fire damage.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Firefighters rescued a dog and two cats on the other half of the home. The animals were taken to Highland Animal Hospital on Route 873.

He said one fire police member from Friedens slipped on the ice and was taken by NOVA to Lehigh Valley Hospital for a possible concussion.

Firefighters were on scene for more than four hours.

“For the amount of fire and the weather conditions, the initial crew, with limited manpower, still made an aggressive attack,” Nicholas said. “Our first priority was searching the unaffected side, making sure nobody was there because it wasn’t safe for us to enter the 2880 building.”

Nicholas commended those who assisted.

“Great teamwork,” he said. “It showed.”

The fire rekindled around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Nicholas said Slatington, Friedens, Emerald and Slatedale fire departments were dispatched, along with Neff’s for their tanker, and NOVA. for the rekindle.

“It was in the exposure building, an area in the attic where there was some fire in the roof line,” he said. “It was very quick, very minimal.”

Nicholas said firefighters were on scene for about an hour due to the rekindle.

“It happens in fires of that magnitude with that wind,” he said. “Once the wind picked up, we kind of prepared for that because it’s in an open field.”

Nicholas said the cause of the fire is not suspicious.

The incident remains under investigation by a state police fire marshal.