The Bermuda Fire Service put out two major house fires before sunrise yesterday morning, with one fire causing more than $120,000 and the other $8,000.

A Devonshire home owner woke up early to find smoke and flames billowing out of the home she has lived in for 54 years. Fire officials believe the fire was caused by a fault in the electric circuit in a spare room in the house.

The home?s hallway, ceiling, and adjacent bathroom suffered from severe heat and smoke damage.

Eight firefighters arrived at Rego Villa on Poinciana Crescent in Devonshire at 3 a.m to find smoke and flames billowing out of the house, and the apartment tenant attempting to put out the blaze with a garden hose.

Fire Spokesperson Lt. Dana Lovell said damage at the three bedroom home was estimated at more than $120,000. Angelina Rego, who has lived in the house all her life, awoke to the sound of her apartment tenant banging on her window around 2.30 a.m. shouting for her to get out.

?I got out of the house through the sliding door and called 911 immediately,? she said. ?It?s been a very hard blow, the room is completely blackened and the hallway and ceiling are all damaged as well as the bathroom,? she said.

Mrs. Rego said the tenant and his wife immediately began watering down the left side of the house where the spare bedroom is located.

Yesterday morning Mrs. Rego, who was visibly shaken, came back to survey the damage after spending the rest of the night with her son and his family.

?I?ve lived in this house all my life, I married when I was 19 and my husband bought this house. I?ve never experienced fire in all my life.?

Mrs. Rego said she had put new flooring and windows in the house recently after hurricane Fabian did some damage.

Her tenant, New Zealander Rachel Crawford was counting her blessings that she was staying with a friend for the night.

?Initially I was thinking about all the stuff I lost in the fire but my real concern now is for Mrs. Rego and her family,? she said.

Ms Crawford is visiting the island and had been travelling in the United States. She bought gifts for her family and personal items which were lost in the blaze.

Fortunately, she had carried her passport, wallet, and plane ticket with her.

Another Devonshire resident awoke at 3.30 a.m. yesterday morning to find the de-humidifier in her storage room had caught on fire, causing $8,000 worth of damage.

The North Shore Road resident did not wish to be named but said she awoke to smell smoke coming from the direction of a downstairs storage room. She said a bag had fallen on the de-humidifier and caused it to catch on fire. Contents of the storage room damaged in the fire included carpets, a television and clothing.