A building that houses a restaurant in the Faubourg Marigny caught fire Saturday.

At 801 Frenchmen Street, across from Washington Square Park, New Orleans Fire Department responded to a three-alarm fire.

WWL-TV

A call came in to the fire department of heavy smoke coming from a building at the corner Dauphine and Frenchmen Streets, according to a statement released by the New Orleans Fire Department.

At the scene, firefighters saw heavy smoke pouring from 801 Frenchmen Street – a second alarm was immediately struck.

The building houses a restaurant on the ground floor, La Vita Del Forno Italian Restaurant, and the owner lived on the second floor.

Two employees, the owner and his two dogs escaped the fire unharmed, according to fire officials; they were assisted from the second floor by firefighters.

A third alarm was sounded when firefighters saw that a building in the rear posed a hazard.

All told, 21 units and 68 fire personnel were on the scene.  The fire was brought under control by 12:45 p.m.

The cause and the origin are still unknown and under investigation.