Trea Powell stood in silence Tuesday afternoon as he watched his childhood home go up in flames.

It wasn’t pleasant seeing his mother, Pat Powell’s, home on U.S. Highway 231 burning, but it was the best he could have hoped for in the situation.

“I’m just glad nobody was home,” Powell said. “Most all of that can be replaced other than sentimental things like pictures.”

Powell said he was on his way to work in Brundidge when he received a call from friends letting him know his mother’s home had caught fire. Pat Powell was in Dothan at the time.

“I used to work at Lockheed, and some people saw it on their way to work and called me,” Powell said.

The Meeksville Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched around 1 p.m. to the house fire. As of Tuesday afternoon, the cause of the fire was still unknown.

Troy Fire Captain Leo Cobb said the Troy Fire Department was sent shortly after to assist, and Pike County Fire and Rescue followed suit.

“All we know is Meeksville came out first, and we came to assist,” Cobb said. “We didn’t have the water to fully involve it.”

Cobb said fire trucks had to make multiple trips to refill their water supply during the fire.

Powell’s parents built the home in 1973, and it’s where he, his brother and his two sisters grew up.

While rescue personnel were not able to restore the home, Powell said he expresses sincere thanks to all those involved in working to subdue the flames.

Click here for photos from the fire.