One person was killed in a house fire in Mount Vernon Saturday night.

The flames broke out at an abandoned home on Union Avenue before 10 p.m. Several departments responded to the scene, and neighbors reported seeing flames coming through the windows and roof of the home.

Witnesses say the man who died was a squatter who had been living at the home for several months. According to one neighbor, he had used kerosene heaters and generators.

The man has not been identified.

Mount Vernon Fire Chief Al Everett praised the work of his crews and neighboring fire departments who worked in icy, bitterly cold conditions. Crews were at the scene for most of the night.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.