Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Fire investigators still trying to find the cause of Tuesday's house fire off North Byron in Howell.

Assistant Chief Brian Hager told WHMI News a father of three teenagers was home alone when the fire started, and was able to escape the smoke and flames.

"His statement was that he was in the basement, heard the smoke detectors going off, went upstairs and was met with a lot of heat and smoke, so he went back downstairs and exited through a egress window in the basement. When he came out, he said he could see fire on the backside of the house," said Hager.

"It's going to be a total loss. Unfortunately, it started in the back and got into the attic roofline and took off from there."

The family lived with the man's mother, according to his ex-wife.

Amber Wallace told WHMI News that all of them are now staying at a hotel in Novi.

There is a GoFundMe set up to help. The link is below.

Similar fundraising efforts also are underway for those displaced by the Hampton Ridge condo fire over the weekend.

Photo courtesy of Richard Vessella.