Fire officials are unlikely to pinpoint the cause of a fire that destroyed a home in southwest Middlesex Sunday night.
Firefighters were called after flames and thick smoke were seen coming from the home on Coltsfoot Drive in Newbury after 11 p.m. While fire crews were unable to save the home, they did prevent flames from spreading to a nearby out building on the property.
The blaze was extinguished roughly an hour after firefighters arrived on scene.
Fire officials, who had been told by a neighbour that no one was home at the time of the fire, were finally able to make contact with the homeowner and tenant on Tuesday. They confirmed the home was empty at the time.
Damage is estimated at $350,000.
"Due to the extent of fire damage it will be difficult to determine the cause/origin [of the fire]," Southwest Middlesex Fire said in a tweet.