When fire fighters descended on 7 Kennedy Street at about 10.45pm the house was “engulfed by flames”.

Neighbours alerted the authorities to the blaze as the residents were not home at the time.

Fire captain Bruce Ambrose said flames were coming from the windows of the house when they arrived at the scene.

“The conditions were quite intense; and paramedics also attended as we had to wear our breathing apparatus,” he told The Argus.

“The Rural Fire Service (RFS) along with a pumper from Branxton provided us with back up.

“The contents [of the house] were completely destroyed and not much of the house was left.”

A police unit from Newcastle is investigating the cause of the fire, he said.

Captain Ambrose estimates it took them about 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze and another hour to mop up the mess.

“We were finished at about 12.30pm but police remained at the scene all night until the investigation unit from Newcastle arrived,” he said.

Sergeant Libby Simos, crime coordinator at Hunter Valley LAC, said when police arrived at the scene at 10.44pm the premises was well alight.

“At the time the tenant was not at the premises as they had left to stay with friends,” she said.

“The occupant was contacted and then returned to the scene.

“Police established a crime scene and any witnesses or persons who may have information on how this fire started to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Captain Ambrose said he couldn’t speculate on the cause of the fire.