Firefighters Tuesday night were on the scene of a house fire on Old Georgetown Road but the home was for sale and was apparently vacant.

Rescuers responded shortly after 8 p.m. to the 9900 block of Old Georgetown Road, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Bill Delaney, and reported heavy smoke from the home. Units knocked out a fire in the basement quickly, Delaney said.

A miscommunication with a rescue unit, however, prompted a 'mayday' call as a precaution, Delaney said.

Rescuers misunderstood a communication from the unit and thought it was a call for help, Delaney said. "The unit was able to get back and say, 'No, we're fine, we're not in trouble.'"

Rescuers remained on the scene Tuesday evening checking for hot spots and making sure no one was in the home. "We certainly don't want to assume just because it looks vacant," Delaney said.