Two people were forced to find a new place to live Friday after a fire gutted their south Sacramento home.

The blaze, which broke out on Amherst Street in the Meadowview area, was engulfed when firefighters arrived just after 2 a.m. Residents escaped to safety thanks to a working smoke detector, officials said.

The intensity of the fire led crews to evacuate people living in neighboring homes.

Investigators were trying to figure out what started the fire, but officials said the severity of the blaze will make the job difficult.