WENDELL — A fire heavily damaged a house at 1010 Morphus Bridge Road on Wednesday night and sent four people to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, officials said.

Firefighters who arrived on the scene five minutes after the blaze was reported at 10:13 p.m. said it began in the basement and worked its way up into the rest of the building.

About three-quarters of the building was damaged by flames, smoke or water, firefighters said.

The cause of the fire was being investigated by the Wake County Fire Marshal’s office, but was believed to be accidental, the fire department said.

The four people were hurt had been in the house and were all treated and released.