A Vicksburg man returned home from a doctor’s visit to find his house engulfed in flames Wednesday.

A home at 2609 Grant St. was consumed by fire around noon as the homeowner was away. Franklin Jackson received a call informing him of the fire from the Vicksburg Police Department as he was leaving a doctor’s appointment.

His neighbor Zelmarie Neal was at home and heard a sound like air pressure releasing, and when she looked out her window she saw the flames coming out of the roof. Her house is located next door, but firefighters were able to contain the flames before any damage was done to her home.

Firefighters worked extensively to get the fire out, which seemed to be burning hottest at the front of the house just under the roof. Hoses as well as a large spout from atop the fire truck were used to control the burn.

Once the flames were finally extinguished, fire investigators began looking into the cause of the fire. Jackson said he cooked breakfast that morning, but made sure to turn off all appliances before leaving the home.

The city was able to turn off the gas lines and a linesman from Entergy worked to make a repair to the lines that were cut during the extinguishing effort. The house was a total loss.