Fire tore through a home on Avondale Loop in Hayden Wednesday, causing part of the roof to collapse and making the house uninhabitable.

"The garage is where we think it started. They're preserving as much of that as they can. We'll be back in the morning to investigate in good light," Northern Lakes Fire spokesman Jim Lyon said Wednesday evening as fire crews continued to check for hotspots and moved into mop-up mode.

"The people are all safe: the mother, father and three kids. They and their dog are all safe," he said. "The mother said they feel extremely blessed because they are all safe and the neighbors directly next to them provided shelter for them to get out of the weather. They even called and updated 911 with information."

The family stayed with family members Wednesday night.

Lyon said the house itself is not habitable but many of its contents are undamaged. Lyon said the family rented the house and has renters’ insurance. The home suffered water damage from the hoses, he added.

The fire was discovered by the family's daughter, who smelled smoke and saw the flames when tending to an animal.

Northern Lakes, Coeur d'Alene Fire and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue responded to the two-alarm fire at 1:13 p.m. The cause is still under investigation and the extent of damage will not be known until further inspection.

In freezing temperatures, it can be even more challenging for fire crews to put out blazes because the elements are working against them.

"It's a very difficult time of year because it creates ice on the ground for slipping and gripping hazards," Lyon said. "The hoses get more rigid as they get cold, but water flow is not an issue."

A warming station was set up at the Avondale fire site to keep crews warm while working.

"The conditions are hard on the guys and gals in the fire because they're wet and they're going to get cold," Lyon said.

As temperatures plummet and heaters and fires crank up, Lyon advised people to keep combustible materials at least 36 inches from heat sources, such as space heaters and fireplaces. He recommends people with chimneys clean out their flues and not let their fires get hot enough to create chimney fires. People should also be cognizant of any obstructions in or near heaters that haven't kicked on since last winter.

Smoke detectors should be in good working condition, too.

"Make sure you have working smoke detectors," Lyon said. "You need to have as early detection as you can."