The fire started on the back patio of a home on West 6th Street, police said.
HOWELL - Officials are investigating a fire that damaged a house on West 6th Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Flames engulfed the back patio of a home on West 6th Street in Howell on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of the Howell Police Department) The first officer on the scene reported seeing flames approximately 4 feet high under a covered patio area, Howell police Chief Andrew Kudrick said.
He said officers heard a loud noise and then saw flames shoot into the air, engulfing the patio's overhang. The fire was called into police by the homeowner, who initially tried to extinguish the flames, Kudrick said.
She safely evacuated the area and did not suffer any injuries.
Police reported on Facebook around 4 p.m. that fire officials were actively fighting the blaze.
The following fire companies responded to the scene: Freewood Acres, Southard, Squankum, Adelphia and Jackson Station 55.
Howell First Aid, Howell police EMS and the township's office of emergency management also assisted at the site of the fire.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Howell Fire Bureau and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.