A house fire right off the Hutchinson Parkway in New Rochelle proved challenging for fire crews this morning.

Officials say the fire broke out in the attic of a two-story home on Amherst Road just after 9 a.m. today.

The blaze quickly sent flames through the roof, causing lots of thick smoke that officials say prevented firefighters from seeing clearly. They say they also had trouble accessing the attic to fight the blaze, gaining entry only through a small hatch. They eventually had to cut a hole through the roof to vent what they say was a tremendous amount of smoke. “We had a hard time getting there because of the location in the house. We had to cut a hole through the roof. There was a lot smoke, which hampered our visibility,” says New Rochelle Fire Chief Louis DiMeglio.

Two people were inside at the time, but both were able to escape unharmed.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials say they suspect the fire may have been started by electrical damage.