AVON, Maine ( WABI /Gray News) - More than a dozen animals were killed in a house fire that erupted late Tuesday night.

Phillips Fire Chief Sean Allen said it took crews nearly 45 minutes to find the fire on Mile Square Road in an Avon neighborhood because the property was at the end of a long driveway and hidden by trees.

The fire department said a drone helped them find the flames at about 9:45 p.m. after a 911 caller said they could see the fire through a ridgeline of trees.

By the time firefighters were able to reach the home, it was engulfed in flames.

Allen said no one was home at the time of the fire, but 11 dogs and four cats were inside the house. Sadly, none of them survived.

The fire also burned a vehicle and briefly spread to the woods.

Investigators from the state’s

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