Nine people escaped without injury after a house fire broke out Friday morning in Northwest Jacksonville, authorities said.
The fire was first reported shortly after 8 a.m. at a home near Hatteras Road and Darlington Drive, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Three adults and six children had made it outside by the time crews arrived, the fire department said, but one of the family's three cats died in the fire.
Firefighters quickly got things under control, but there was extensive damage to the home, the department said. The American Red Cross has stepped in to help those displaced by the fire.
Based on a preliminary investigation, authorities suspect the fire started in the back of the home. The cause remains unclear.