A residence in the Mohawk-area was heavily damaged Tuesday night by a blaze that began when food being prepared in a frying pan caught fire.

A report filed about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday concerning the fire at 170 Ed Shipley Lane by Deputy Sheriff Mike Shipley said resident Kelley Johnson, 26, told him that she and other family members were cooking when a frying pan caught fire.

Ed Shipley Lane is located off North Mohawk Road in Mohawk.

In attempting to carry the flaming frying pan to the bathroom of the house, Johnson spilled some of the burning liquid onto a couch, setting it on fire as well. Family members were unable to extinguish the spreading blaze after that, the report said.

Units of the McDonald and Midway Volunteer Fire Departments responded to, and extinguished, the fire.

Anthony Ball, chief of the Midway VFD, said he had responded earlier to a call for medical assistance about a mile from the fire scene and was the first firefighter to reach the scene.

When he arrived, Ball said, one room of the single-story frame house was already engulfed in flames.

Ball also said that family members, including several children and an elderly woman, had been evacuated safely from the house.

He said the McDonald VFD responded with three fire trucks, while the Midway VFD sent one tanker and a rapid response vehicle to the scene.

About 20 firefighters fought the fire, with some remaining on the scene until after 10 p.m., according to Chief Ball.

Despite firefighters' efforts, Ball said, the house and its contents were believed to be a "total loss" due to heavy heat, smoke and water damage.

The Sheriff's Department report said the house was owned by Gary Wills, of Mosheim, and was valued at $26,000.

Also responding to the fire were a Greeneville Light and Power System crew, a disaster services unit from the Greene County Chapter of the American Red Cross, a Greene County-Greeneville Emergency Medical Services ambulance and a unit of the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad.