Updated 3:18 p.m.
 
The Roanoke County fire marshal's office has determined that this morning's blaze began when items stored too close to a hot water heater caught fire, county fire spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton said.

The fire spread to the ceiling and through the roof. The rest of the house sustained smoke damage, Conley Sexton said.

The resident will be displaced until repairs can be made. The Red Cross has been called to assist her.

Posted 10:50 a.m.

An early morning fire displaced a woman from her South Roanoke County house.

The resident woke up smelling smoke at her home in the 6700 block of Circle Creek Drive off of U.S. 220 and called for help about 3:20 a.m., Roanoke County Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton said. She was able to escape without injury.

When firefighters arrived, they saw flames coming from the roof of the one-story wood frame house, Conley Sexton said.

Crews from the Clearbrook, Cave Spring, Mount Pleasant and Boones Mill fire stations worked for about 45 minutes to get the fire under control, Conley Sexton said. They had trouble getting water to the house, which is about a mile from the Franklin County line, because the nearest hydrant was across U.S. 220, she said.

Fire investigators are at the house to determine the cause.  A damage estimate was not immediately available.