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COLUMBIA, MO -- The high-pitched trill of a smoke alarm and a loud POP!

Those are the sounds that woke the residents of 601 Hardin Street in Columbia early Monday morning.

The Columbia Fire Department responded at 1:30 a.m. The response team found smoke in the house and followed it to the basement. They extinguished a small fire in minutes, then used fans to vent the smoke from the home.

Because the basement stored a lot of materials, firefighters were on the scene for several hours checking for hidden fire and ensuring the fire was out.

This fire serves as a reminder that working smoke alarms can and do save lives. The smoke alarms in this home sounded early, allowing the residents to escape the house easily.

Fire investigators are still working on a cause for the fire, which originated in the basement. Damage estimates to the structure and contents are preliminarily set at $20,000.

The residents of the home are staying with local relatives until the damage can be repaired.