Shortly before 3:43 a.m., a neighbor noticed an occupied but vacant home in the 13000 block of Birch Road fully engulfed and called fire dispatch.

Calcutta Fire Chief Dave McCoy said upon initial arrival, crews found all the walls had collapsed into the basement due to the blaze, which he speculated may have been burning several hours before detection.

Frigid and icy weather conditions made the call particularly treacherous as well as their initial inability to know if someone may be trapped inside, McCoy added.

Due to road conditions, only one engine could make it down the snow-covered and icy driveway, with the remaining vehicles staying on the road.

Firefighters walk through the aftermath of an overnight structure fire on Birch Road Friday morning. Although the engulfed home was quickly determined to be a total loss early on, crews kept up the internal offense as there was a question whether an occupant may be trapped in the structure. He was not home. (Submitted photo)

St. Clair Township road department also came and dumped cinders on the road to help with traction, while St. Clair Township police eventually located the elderly tenant who had been recuperating from a recent surgery at his daughter’s house and was not home. 

Liverpool Township crews also responded with tankers and manpower as per their mutual aid agreement.

McCoy estimated crews sprayed 8,000 gallons of water on the blaze.

The structure and contents were a total loss.

The tenant had been using a temporary heater to thaw frozen pipes in the basement, and McCoy speculated that as a preliminary cause for the fire. 

Firefighters walk through the aftermath of an overnight structure fire on Birch Road Friday morning. Although the engulfed home was quickly determined to be a total loss early on, crews kept up the internal offense as there was a question whether an occupant may be trapped in the structure. He was not home. (Submitted photo)

St. Clair and Liverpool Township fire crews remained three hours in the early Friday morning hours at a structure fire home in the 13000 block of Ridge Road. The home was a total loss upon arrival; however, there was a question if the structure had an occupant. It later was discovered the tenant was staying with his daughter.  (Submitted photo)