Firefighters battled a blaze on Zetus Road all morning Tuesday,but were unable to save the home.

Homeowner Phillip Fairchild and his family were not home andthere were no injuries fighting the fire at 1897 Zetus Road, saidClifford Galey, county fire coordinator.

“They hadn’t been gone long. But by the time it was noticed, itwas fully involved,” he said.

A neighbor noticed the blaze and called 911 around 8:30 a.m.,Galey said.

Firefighters with Zetus, Loyd Star, New Sight and Hog Chainvolunteer fire departments answered the emergency call with sixfire trucks, but were too late to save the home, he said.

“It was hot. It burned fast,” Galey said.

Firefighters remained at the scene until around 2 p.m.,extinguishing hot spots to prevent a flare up, he said.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, said Rodney Foster,arson investigator for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

“The cause of the fire is under investigation,” he said. “We’retrying to find out what caused it. This is normal for a fire ofthat size.”

Foster said he will return to the scene this afternoon “after itcools down” to continue the investigation.