Eight people in Norwalk are without a home after a garage caught fire and caused major smoke damage to their house.

It happened on Richlee Road around 11:45 p.m. Monday.

According to officials, crews arrived and found heavy fire coming out of the two-car garage extending up to the second-floor windows.

Officials say most of the fire was contained to the garage but there's heavy smoke damage throughout the home.

An SUV inside the garage was destroyed.

Two grandparents, two parents, and two children on the top floor, as well as two people on the bottom floor, all made it out safely.

"The house is unfit for occupancy," says Deputy Chief Edward Prescott with the Norwalk Fire Department. "The origin of fire is the garage, and we are investigating now. People are staying with their relatives close by."

No one was injured, but officials say a 60-year-old man living on the top floor was taken to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation he received from staying back to search for his dog.

News 12 is told crews eventually rescued the animal.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.