Firefighters from Lincoln, Amite and Pike counties could notsave a home on Chisholm Drive early Monday afternoon.

The home at 3545 Chisholm Dr. was owned by Richard and KimberlyWilliams, but was occupied by their son Richard Williams. Theyounger Williams had left approximately 10 minutes before the 911call around 12:45 p.m.

Water to the home had been turned off long before the firebecause of a broken water pipe, said Lincoln County Sheriff’sDepartment Fire Investigator Rodney Foster.

“The son was living in the home as a kind of private apartment,but he ate and took showers next door at his grandmother’s house,”Foster said. “He really only slept there.”

Foster said he believes the fire was caused by an electricalshort.

“I determine the origin of the fire and whether it was arson,”Foster said.

Lincoln County Fire Coordinator Clifford Galey said it wasstandard procedure to call the fire investigator.

“It’s just a procedure we follow because no one was home and wedon’t know what happened,” Galey said.

Bogue Chitto Volunteer Fire Department Secretary Jean Merciersaid it was a busy day for the department.

“We were on a wreck on the interstate at mile marker 25 when wegot the call to come here,” she said.

Bogue Chitto firefighters were still en route when they saw thelarge black plume of smoke and called for assistance. Firefightersfrom Smithdale and Mars Hill VFDs in Amite County and Summit VFD inPike County responded to help combat the blaze.

“This is one of our most remote areas,” Mercier said.

The Chisholm Drive home was only a short distance from theLincoln-Amite County line and approximately 10 miles fromSummit.

Amite County provided the most support with Smithdale bringingthree trucks and seven men and Mars Hill a truck and five men.Summit bolstered Bogue Chitto’s truck and three firefighters withtwo trucks and four men. A firefighter from Lincoln County’s HogChain VFD also assisted.