Smoke and steam wafted from a large hole in the center of Amelia and Marcus Baugh's charred house on West Commerce Street Wednesday morning as firefighters sweated in their turn-out gear in the 35-degree weather.

The flames had subsided by 8 a.m., but respirator-wearing Lewisburg firefighters still crawled around and through the soggy rubble looking for suspicious hot spots that might reignite.

Known to her friends as "Milly," Baugh motioned to one of the firefighters to come closer to where she stood on the cold street in front of what had been her home. Raising his mask, he listened as she made a single request. Without hesitation, the whiskered fireman pulled his mask back down, spun around and purposefully tromped back down Milly's sidewalk toward the gaping hole that was once her front door. He disappeared for a moment and reappeared just as quickly carrying a flat beige-colored object. Milly offered a weak smile to the fireman as she took an heirloom from his gloved hand. Looking over her shoulder, one could see that the prized possession was a painted plaque of "The Ten Commandments."

When asked if she knew what started the fire "I just don't understand," Baugh said. "We were gone before six o'clock. We work, you know." Amelia and Marcus Baugh are the owners of the home.

"It started in the back corner of the house," Pat Nafe, owner of Pat's Puff & Stuff said. The tobacco retail store is located across the street from the fire. "A customer came in and told me smoke was coming out of the house."

The Lewisburg Fire Department responded quickly to the 911 call. "It didn't take them one minute to get here," Nafe said. "It took me longer to explain to the woman answering the 911 call to tell her where we were than it took them to get here." Lewisburg Fire Department (LFD) was dispatched at 6:16 a.m. and arrived on scene at 6:20. Nafe also gave the firefighters coffee as they rotated out from fighting the fire.

Neighbors told LFD firefighters that there were three residents in the home--there were actually two--but both were already at work when the blaze started. The first crew on scene kicked the door in and searched first floor for the residents, and searched second floor until the floor started to collapse.

According to LFD Fire Chief Larry Williams, the home and its contents were a total loss. The initial investigation points toward the fire starting at the stove and going up the wall into the second story floor and spreading from there. Williams said that the cause was still undetermined, however. The stove was so damaged in the blaze that no evidence of the cause could still be uncovered.

This is the first structure fire for the new ladder truck purchased last year by LFD. LFD deployed all of its equipment and 19 firefighters. Farmington Volunteer Fire Department sent two trucks to assist at chief's request.

The Red Cross has provided a place for the Baughs to stay until further arrangements can be made.

Scott Pearson contributed to this story.