SEEKONK - A fire believed to have been caused by a candle heavily damaged a 2 1/2-story house at the Swansea line early Monday night, displacing a family but causing no injuries.

The home at 405 Warren Ave. caused a significant amount of fire damage to the second floor of the home and smoke and water damage to the first floor, Seekonk Fire Chief Alan Jack said.

A dog was rescued by the home's occupants and firefighters found a cat on the first floor but another pet cat remained missing as of Monday night.

When firefighters arrived on scene shortly before 7 p.m., they encountered fire on the first and second floors

Swansea firefighters arrived first. "They put the first water on the fire," Jack said. "They made a heck of an attack on it."

The fire was under control in about 10 minutes, Jack said.

Firefighters chopped holes in the roof to vent out smoke. "We didn't want it to spread to the roof," Jack said.

Several windows were broken and an upper floor window's exterior wall was blackened to the roof.

One of the home's occupants was doing some work on the house at the time of the blaze, the fire chief said.

"We understand a candle was on the windowsill in the second floor bedroom," Jack said.

The occupant left the room and shortly after heard smoke alarms sounding and observed smoke, the chief said.

"The fire caught the bed linen and mattress," Jack said.

The homeowner, he said, attempted to remove the bed linen but ended up spreading the fire throughout the room, in the hallway and staircase and part of the first floor, the chief said.

"It appears accidential," Jack said of the fire. "Possibly a cat knocked over the candle." A fire hydrant about 800 feet away in Swansea was used.

The home appeared to be an old farm house. Next to it is PineGate Farm in Swansea. Town Farm in Seekonk is up the street. Warren Avenue is a dark and winding residential/rural road off Route 6.

The fire was reported to Swansea Fire Department by several phone calls.

Seekonk sent two fire engines and its ladder truck along with Swansea's fire apparatus.

East Providence, R.I., firefighters helped staff the Seekonk fire station.

STEPHEN PETERSON can be reached at 508-236-0377 or at speterson@thesunchronicle.com.