More than three dozen firefighters battled flames at a home in Upper Burlington Thursday morning, but nothing could be done to save the house.

The call for help came in just after 10 a.m.

The Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department responded, and quickly asked firefighters from four nearby communities to help.

"Crews arrived on scene and found this end of the house completely engulfed," said Fire Chief Mark Dearman.

He said it took about 30 minutes to get the fire under control.

"We had some difficulty, the fire was up in the attic," he said. "It was also down in the basement and there was no access to the basement."

Firefighters tore up sections of the roof as they monitored hot spots through the afternoon.

No one was home when the fire started, but family members arrived through the day and were devastated by the loss.

An ambulance was called to the scene.

"Some of the family members who arrived on scene needed some treatment. It's understandable. They were upset. They lost everything."

Dearman believes nothing can be saved in the building.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Upper Burlington is located 18 kilometres northeast of Windsor.