Authorities say that nine people are homeless after a fire gutted a Mount Vernon residence Tuesday afternoon.

Flames burst from the third-floor windows of the house, located on the corner of Summit and Sydney avenues, around 1:40 p.m.

Mount Vernon fire officials say the blaze broke out at of the house on the corner of Summit and Sydney avenues around 1:40 p.m. They tell News 12 that the fire may have started on the third floor of the residence but are still unsure of the cause.

No one was injured and the residents who were home were evacuated.

Neighbors say the home is over 100 years old and that the homeowner was renting out a few rooms.  "It’s total devastation. This house is totally gone. There is no repairing this house whatsoever," says neighbor John Micceri.

Professionals were on the scene today assessing the damage. "This is one of the worst I’ve seen in quite some time. It took them hours and hours to put it out, it went on until late last night. We're back here in the morning and it seems like things are still getting sorted out," says Michael Bilt, of Atlas Adjustments.
The public adjuster went on to say that in his opinion it’s a total loss. It will take nine to 12 months for the homeowners to recover and rebuild.

Fire officials say it's unclear what sparked the blaze, but they do say they were able to rescue a few pets, including a guinea pig.

The Red Cross was on the scene helping those displaced.