Owners Dave and Kylie Clement were inside 1810 E. Main St. with their three children, ages 13, 7, and 1, when the smoke alarms went off about 6:40 p.m. Monday.

One of the children telephoned 9-1-1 at 6:44 p.m., and firefighters were on the scene by 6:48 p.m.

"It’s pretty sobering to hear the alarms go off," Dave Clement said. "The upstairs was full of smoke, but I didn’t see any flames."

The smoke was traced to a 100-square-foot burned area of the attic between two front dormers, Battalion Chief Ken Goodson said.

Firefighters placed heavy tarps over furniture and meticulously squirted just "30 or 40 gallons" of water to curb water damage, Goodson said.

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Firefighters also used fans to push smoke out of the house, which was built in 1941 and spans almost 3,000 square feet.

The fire’s cause was not determined Monday evening, Goodson said. No financial estimate of the damage was available, and the Clements said they were insured.

For more than two hours, Medford police officers blocked traffic to a one-block stretch of east Main Street while fire crews were on hand.

The fire remained under investigation Monday.