And despite fire crews' valiant efforts, four dogs and two cats, pets owned by Perry Township volunteer firefighter David Carson, were lost in the blaze.
The fire broke out in Carson's home just after 2 p.m. while Carson and his wife Ellen were in Mount Pleasant. The couple heard the call go out on Carson's fire scanner, but didn't realize right away that their home was the one engulfed.
"I have lived here all my life," Carson said. "My parents lived here and my grandparents bought it in 1934."
Carson worked alongside emergency crews to battle the blaze, but as the flames died down and the house began to smolder, the enormity of the situation began to sink in.
"We lost all our pets," Carson said stoically.
His wife Ellen, at a loss for words watching her home burn, slumped over in tears thinking of the animals and the lost memories.
The inferno gutted the farmhouse, which was built in the late 1700s.
Smoke billowing from the two-story home could be seen for 10 miles, a giant black plume cutting the blue January sky.
Fire companies had to run hose for more than a quarter mile down Virgin Run to reach the residence from the nearest fire hydrant.
Firefighters shot water into the flaming rafters of the home trying to squelch the flames licking out second-story windows.
After minimal success at controlling the fire, Perry Township Assistant Fire Chief A.J. Boni ordered the deck gun on the Perry Township truck to be blasted on the smoldering home to try and stop flare-ups.
While Carson said he wasn't sure what caused the blaze, his wife said the couple used two kerosene heaters and a fireplace to heat the home and said any one of the three could have triggered the fire.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation by Perry Township Fire Chief Barry Lynch late Tuesday.
Boni said all fires are hard for families to endure, but his fire company was especially hit hard by Carson's loss.
"Our deepest sympathy goes out to our beloved fireman," Boni said.
In addition to Perry Township, fire crews from Fayette City and Flatwoods responded to the massive blaze.
