NATCHEZ — A fire destroyed an unoccupied Adams County home Wednesday morning.

Neighbor Roy King IV said his mother noticed the fire at 20 Pruett Road at approximately 5:45 a.m.

“My mother heard the fire; she heard small explosions like paint cans exploding, and she said it sounded like gunfire,” King said.

After calling the fire department, King said he went outside to watch the fire and take pictures in case investigators wanted to see what the early stages of the blaze looked like.

The structure was under renovation and was not occupied at the time, he said. King said he believed the blaze picked up as the flames reached cans of flammable liquid being used in the renovation that were stored at the back of the house.

The scariest moment was when the fire reached a butane tank at the back of the house, King said.

“Thankfully, the tank was empty, but when the fire heated up that tank and we heard the pressure release valve release and whatever residual gas was in there came out, I took off running,” he said.

The Natchez Fire Department and the Foster Mound Fire Department responded to the fire.

Officials at the Natchez Fire Department said reports about the fire had not been completed Wednesday evening.