SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — Two women have escaped unharmed from a fire that heavily damaged a house in Scottsbluff.

The blaze was reported around 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

Charlene Bernhardt owns the home, and she says she and her daughter-in-law were inside when they heard “a loud sound, like something exploded.” Scottsbluff Fire Chief Dana Miller says the fire appears to have started in the rear of the structure in a carport area. A neighboring house also was damaged.