A Toronto firefighter exits what was left of a home on Wheeler Ave. in the Beaches after a fire in the attic. (QMI AGENCY)

TORONTO — The fire marshal's office is investigating a four-alarm blaze has severely damaged three homes in the Beach.

The fire broke out at 161 Wheeler Ave., shortly after midnight, and quickly spread to adjacent homes directly to the north and south.

"Only one family has been displaced at 163 and they're down the street with neighbours," said Toronto Fire Cpt. Andy Kostiuk at the scene this morning. "And the people at 159 are enjoying the sun in Puerto Rico and Jamaica. they have been contacted, so they know they're coming home to a bit of a mess."

One person was treated for smoke inhalation, but otherwise there were no injuries.

Malcolm Concannon, who lives at 159 Wheeler Ave., north of Queen St. E., said he awoke to find the menacing orange flames next door and evacuated his wife and his five-year-old son, Craig.

"Smoke was billowing out from the second storey," Concannon, 43, said outside his gutted two-storey home today. "Literally, within 30 seconds, there were flames shooting up into the air."

About 20 trucks and 60 firefighters battled the inferno for two hours before they got it under control. At around 11:30 a.m., rubble was still smouldering from the homes.

Mike Stewart of the Office of the Fire Marshal said that they're still investigating what might have caused the blaze. Damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

"We just arrived on the scene so we have to do interviews with contractors, the police, the firefighters. Just to get a sense of where to begin this investigation," he said.