Flames from a house fire on Snead Street could be seen reaching into the night sky from blocks away Wednesday, and brought neighbors into the street to try and alert those inside.

Andalusia Fire Chief Ethan Dorsey said the home’s occupants were out of town at the time of the fire, but the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

“We haven’t determined the cause of the fire yet,” Dorsey said Thursday. “It was fully involved when we got there before midnight, and we were there fighting it until about 3 a.m.”

A couple living down the street from the home first noticed the flames and made the 911 call just after 11 p.m. Wednesday.

“We are quite a few houses down from that home, but the blaze was so tall that I saw it from our window,” the neighbor said. “Since it was late, I think the majority of their close neighbors were asleep. They own a few dogs, and they were all chained in the backyard. My husband and I called 911 immediately and ran to the house.”

Because of vehicles parked out front, she said she feared the home’s occupants had been incapacitated by the flames and smoke.

“Since there were two cars in the driveway, we were concerned that there were people inside,” she said. “We were yelling really loudly to see if anyone was home, but smoke was billowing out of the windows so badly, we knew that, most likely, anyone inside was no longer conscious.”

The neighbor, who wished to remain nameless, said she later learned that the home was empty, and 911 officials did a thorough job of keeping her family safe as well.

“The 911 guy told us to back away since you never know if someone might have ammunition or other dangerous things inside their homes,” she said. “The fire trucks arrived about four minutes later.”

She said it was relief to know no one was injured during the incident.

“I just hope the dogs are OK,” she said. “It was the first time I had seen something like this in person. Very, very sad.”