Fire destroyed a home in northwestern Decatur County on Monday afternoon.

At about 1:30 p.m., an employee of Three Notch EMC called 911 to report seeing flames coming from the house at 967 Brinson Airbase Road, just west of its intersection with Bethel Road, commonly known as Rentz Crossing.

County firefighters, coming from their nearby headquarters at the Industrial Air Park off U.S. 27 North, found the home engulfed with flames and called for the assistance of volunteer firefighters to help put out the blaze.

The home, the residence of James Eric German according to bystanders, was destroyed by the fire. Mr. German and his wife had gone to an appointment in Dothan, Ala., and were not at home when the fire was discovered, according to Marvin Rentz, a farmer whose office and business are both located just down the road.

It was not immediately clear what might have started the fire, said Decatur County Fire and Rescue Chief Charlie McCann. A car belonging to the Germans that had been parked behind the house was also destroyed by fire.

In addition to Fire and Rescue, firefighters from the Brinson and Blackjack volunteer departments, as well as a crew of Decatur County Prison inmates who are certified firefighters, worked to bring the fire under control more than an hour later.