JEFFERSON COUNTY — A Jefferson County home was destroyed by a Tuesday afternoon fire that also destroyed a nearby shed and damaged a nearby vehicle.

Jefferson Fire responded around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a fire in the 19,000 block of North Hails Lane northeast of Mt. Vernon.

A passerby had spotted the fire and called 9-1-1. Fortunately, no one was home at the time of the blaze which had fully engulfed the home by the time firefighters arrived. They remained on the scene for nearly two hours. The State Fire Marshal’s office has been called in to investigate.

Mt. Vernon City, Wayne City, Kell, and Bluford provided mutual aid at the scene, while Salem and Waltonville firefighters stood by at the Jefferson Fire Station in case of another call.