Firefighters continued their efforts late Sunday morning to fully extinguish the remains of a fire that destroyed a Mississippi mansion.

Natchez Fire Chief Robert Arrington confirmed that no one was inside the Linton Avenue house during the fire. According to family members, the homeowner was reportedly traveling at the time. The fire was first reported at approximately 1 a.m., when a Natchez Police officer patrolling the area smelled smoke and discovered the blaze.

“When we arrived, heavy fire was already inside the house,” Arrington said. The fire had been burning for an unknown amount of time before the officer’s discovery.

Crews worked for more than four hours to bring the flames under control, with the fire finally extinguished around 4:30 a.m. “It was a really big, old house, and it collapsed,” Arrington said.

One neighboring home sustained minor heat damage, but firefighters successfully prevented the blaze from spreading. “I want to commend our firefighters,” Arrington said. “This was a huge fire, and they stayed tight, used their skills, and followed orders. They did a great job.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and an investigation is underway. “We have no clue how it started,” Arrington said. “At this stage, it’s going to be a long road to try to figure that out.”