DEBARY, Fla. – Fire crews remained on the scene of a house fire in DeBary late Thursday night.
The Orange City Fire Department said that the single-family home on the 200 block of Dirksen Drive started on fire just before 5 p.m.
Crews were unable to access a fire hydrant upon arrival, and were forced to use a different one before being able to eventually open the one across from the home.
The homeowner told News 6 that he parked his riding lawn mower underneath his carport right before the fire started. He said that he wasn't aware his house was on fire until a neighbor called to alert him.
"I called the home phone, and it rang four times," said neighbor Toni Gattie. "I said, 'Dick is everything OK?' And he said, he must have looked outside and he's, 'Oh my God, my garage is on fire.'"
Video from the air showed flames several hours after the fire started.
"There was just smoke and I didn't think much of the smoke. It was on the other side of his house and then it got black," said Gattie.
The homeowner said that he lives alone in the five-bedroom house and no one else was there at the time.
However, he did say that he has a collection of vintage cars that have all been destroyed.
Orange City officials said that the home is a complete loss and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. As many as 45 firefighters have worked on the home throughout different shifts on Thursday evening.
No injuries have been reported.