Firefighters from three departments don’t know what caused a fire that destroyed a home near Ardmore Wednesday afternoon.

The late Alton Wells, who died about three months ago, owned the home at 28474 Ragsdale Creek Road, north of Shipley Hallow Road, said Tim Toone, chief of the Ardmore Volunteer Fire Department.

The owner’s brother, James Wells, was not at home when the fire broke out.

Firefighters were paged at 2:59 p.m., and the house was fully involved when Elkmont Volunteer Fire Department arrived.

“When it’s pretty well out the windows and through the roof, there isn’t much you can do,” Toone said. “The house was a total loss. As for the cause, we have no idea.”

The insurance company might investigate, Toone said.

Relatives who grew up in the wood-frame home said it was more than 100 years old, Toone said.

Seven firefighters from Ardmore, five from Elkmont and two from Oak Grove responded to the blaze. The fire flared up twice during the night. Ardmore firefighters responded the first time and Elkmont the second.