BATON ROUGE - Eyewitnesses told firefighters, someone threw an item through a window of a home before it erupted into flames overnight.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department said an overnight fire at 5918 Howell Drive was arson and described the fire as starting once the item was tossed through the window of the home.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find flames showing through the roof, the department said. Two children were home alone at the time and were able to make it out unharmed.

A neighbor, Owanda Campbell, told WBRZ,  "I hurried and opened the door and it was my neighbor's little boys, the 12-year-old and holding his little 3-year-old brother who was naked with no clothes on."

According to Campbell the eldest child told her that, "He heard a glass break and then he said saw flames and he just grabbed the baby and just ran to my house," said Campbell. 

Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to the neighboring homes.

The Red Cross was dispatched to assist the displaced occupants.

Anyone with information about this fire should call Crime Stoppers or fire investigator.