A woman and her son are left homeless after a fire tore through their home Saturday in Orwigsburg.

The fire at 114 Lehigh Ave. was called into the Schuylkill County Communications Center at 6:48 a.m., a supervisor said Sunday. He said fire companies from Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Landingville, Deer Lake and the Rapid Intervention Team from Pottsville were dispatched for the one alarm fire. A time was not provided on how long it took to contain.

Patty Daley, disaster responder with the Tri-County American Red Cross, said Christa Boltz and her adult son lived at the home, which they rented from her mother. She said the fire was classified as “major,” according to fire dispatches.

Danielle Boris, also a disaster responder with the Red Cross, said they must stay elsewhere. The Red Cross provided food, clothing and shelter. She does not know if the home had working smoke alarms.

“There is no living in the home,” she said.

Boris doesn’t know if they were home at the time of the fire, although the communications center said the occupants were not inside when firefighters arrived.

Boris said Boltz told her eight cats and three snakes were inside. At least one of the cats survived as did a small snake. Boris said Boltz believes two of the cats ran away.

“Two of the snakes were killed,” Boris said.

The fate of the remaining cats remain unknown, said.

Orwigsburg Assistant Fire Chief Scott Rarick did not return a call for comment.