The cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant Belmont Count home on Tuesday is under investigation.

The house on Johnson Ridge Road in Somerton had been abandoned, but neighbors had recently purchased it with plans on fixing it up before moving in, officials said.

"It's pretty much a total loss," said Somerton Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dennis Wilcox.

There were no reported injuries and the home was not yet occupied.

Four fire departments responded to the scene around 11 a.m. after a neighbor passing by heard popping and cracking inside the house, then spotted fire shooting form a front corner of the house.

When crews arrived, the house was already fully engulfed in flames. Wilcox said the flames next spread to three of the downstairs rooms, then smoke and heat damaged the rest of the structure.

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