A house was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning, and authorities say the whereabouts of its owner are unknown.

Firefighters from three stations were called to the home – on the 8th Line in the Town of Erin, west of the town centre – around 9:30 a.m.

The fire had actually begun many hours earlier, but was not discovered until then, as the home sits at least two hundred metres back from the road.

Authorities at the scene said that the fire had gutted the house, and that the woman who owns the farm had not been accounted for.

Ontario Provincial Police and the Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating.

With reporting by Marc Venema