SCHODACK, N.Y. -- Five people escaped safely from an early morning house fire in Schodack, Rensselaer County. One woman was hospitalized for difficulty breathing.

The home on State Route 150 was demolished.

Police say the call for a fire came in around 5:15 a.m., and firefighters worked for more than two hours to put the flames out. The fire began in the basement. A wood-burning stove is believed the cause.

The East Schodack Fire Department is right around the corner, but the age and layout of the house posed difficulties.

"Because this is an old house and it’s rather cluttered, it got ahead of us a little bit," said East Schodack Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Wright. "There’s no fire stops in the walls between the attic and the basement."

The home had four layers of roofing, including metal, which made fighting the fire even more difficult. 

Three dogs also made it out safely, but two other dogs, some cats, birds and chickens did not make it out. 

The Red Cross is helping the five residents who escaped.