More than 50 firefighters responded to a fire that nearly destroyed a Bedford mansion Saturday.

The homeowners were inside the house on Harris Road and escaped thanks to a neighbor who noticed smoke coming from the home and called 911. It took firefighters more than two hours to put out the blaze. Most of the damage was contained to the back and left side of the house.

Firefighters say the most challenging part of battling the blaze was dragging the hose from the fire hydrant that was located half a mile up the road. Investigators say the fire was started in a pile of building materials left behind by construction workers.