Evanston firefighters responded to a house fire in the 1900 block of Colfax Street on Sunday evening.

When companies pulled up to the street at 5:27 p.m., they discovered the fire on the back side of a single-family house that extended slightly into the walls, Evanston Fire Department division chief Paul Polep said.

Upon entering the home and initiating an interior attack, fire companies were confronted with heavy smoke conditions, Polep said in a Monday news release.

Polep told The Daily on Sunday the house was occupied by an elderly couple at the time of the fire and firefighters helped get the two residents outside. The man was transported to a local area hospital for minor smoke inhalation “just to be observed,” he said. Polep added that the man is currently “doing fine.”

Polep said the response was upgraded to the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System level, meaning nearby communities — such as Skokie, Morton Grove, Wilmette and Northfield — sent over companies to assist in extinguishing efforts.

In the release, Polep said Red Cross was brought in to assist the homeowners with temporary living arrangements until the home is once again safe for occupancy.

The house fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the initial call and there were no firefighter injuries, Polep said. The cause of the fire still remains under investigation with no foul play expected.

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