ROME, N.Y. (WKTV) - A house in the City of Rome is badly damaged by an early morning fire.

It's not the early Christmas gift this local family was hoping for.

A morning wake up call while they're on vacation, telling them there home is badly damaged by fire.

"We believe it started somewhere in the cellar and it followed the metal chimney pipe up through the middle of the house and up to the attic," said Chief Roger Saba of the Rome Fire Department.

The fire at 816 Kent Street broke out shortly before 8 a.m. when fire officials say a tenant at the residence was woken up by a smoke alarm going off.

That person - Clifford Come - called firefighters, who arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke. Come was all right, and not injured after the fire.

The family who owns this home is on vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Fire officials are still investigating how the fire started.