A multiple story home at 551 Buffalo Hill Road, just off Highway 29, north in Ellisville was completely destroyed by fire Saturday night.

Captain Brent Shennault of Fire Station No. 1 in Ellisville said firefighters were dispatched to the home at about midnight. When they arrived at the scene, the house was fully engulfed.

“Flames were coming out of all openings,” said Shennault. “The initial reports were that there was a possibility of occupants in the dwelling. Fortunately, we made contact with the brother of the homeowner who informed us that the family was out of town.”

Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna said it was fortunate that no one was in the home because it was a multiple alarm fire. “We had seven departments to respond,” he said. “It was a pretty big house, with two stories on one side and three stories on the other.”

In addition to the Ellisville Fire Department, others responding to the mammoth fire were Boggy, South Jones, Southwest Jones, Calhoun, Pleasant Ridge, and Hebron Volunteer Fire Departments.

Shennault said the fire was under control in about an hour. However, firefighters remained at the sight for about five hours to make sure the flames didn’t spark back up.

According to McKenna, State Fire Marshals will be on hand Tuesday to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Look for an update on this story in Tuesday’s edition of the Laurel Leader-Call.