An unattended candle was the cause of a fire early Thursday in Great Bend, Fire Chief Mike Napolitano said.

Firefighters were dispatched to 2619 Morton St. at 1:01 a.m. Napolitano said a candle was left burning in the living room when the occupants went to sleep. A man in the house woke up and found the candle had ignited items on the table. He was able to get his family out and then extinguished the fire.

The fire damage was limited to the area around the living room, with light smoke damage to the rest of the house. Damage was estimated at $5,000.