Three adults and two children escaped from a burning house without injury Sunday evening in Sandspit (March 8), but the house was severely damaged, says acting fire chief Brad Tanner.Sandspit's volunteer fire department responded quickly to the fire call, Mr. Tanner said, with the first ones arriving on the scene within five minutes. Nine firefighters and one auxiliary firefighter turned out, using the town's two fire trucks as well as private vehicles.The firefighters used a new compressed air foam system to douse the flames, Mr. Tanner said. They've practiced with the foam several times, but this was the first time they had used it in a real fire situation. Mr. Tanner said he was pleased with the way the foam worked. Although the upper floor of the house was burned through, the basement was for the most part saved from the flames.The fire was reported just before 7 pm and the firefighters were on the scene for about five hours, Mr. Tanner said.It looks like the fire started in the chimney and then spread quickly on the house's shake roof, he said.