A furnace backfire caused heavy smoke conditions and a little fire in the basement of 11 Woodland Drive Monday morning, fire chief Richard Hutchings said.
The homeowner discovered heavy smoke after opening a door to the basement, he said.
As it turned out, it was mostly smoke but there was some fire on the furnace itself and would have gotten much worse if it hadn't been spotted.
"It's a good thing she was home," Hutchings said.
The fire was reported at 7:23 a.m.
Firefighters from Canton worked at the scene and Avon units also responded, Hutchings said.
Avon's fire marshal James DiPace also filled in for Canton's Adam Libros, who is on vacation.
There was no structural damage to the home and the family will be able to stay there, Hutchings added.
