The one-alarm blaze was reported just after 2 a.m. at a house on Gleneagle Avenue, Hayward fire Battalion Chief Garrett Contreras said.
A man in his 40s was home at the time and managed to escape, but suffered a cut to his hand and was taken to a hospital, Contreras said.
The man's mother, who owns the house, arrived at the home shortly after the fire started, according to Contreras.
Firefighters confined the flames to the living room, kitchen and dining room, and had the fire controlled by 2:45 a.m., Contreras said.
One firefighter fell waist-deep through the floor but was uninjured, Contreras said.
The man who was at home when the fire started said he had fallen asleep with candles burning on the hutch, Contreras said. An initial investigation seems to support that possibility but the cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.
The blaze caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the structure and contents, Contreras said.
