PHILLIPS — A fire started late Wednesday night leveled a house to the ground and the cause is still unknown, officials say.

Deputy Brad Scovil, of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, responded at 11:37 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a fire at 212 Mile Square Road, according to a news release Thursday by Sheriff Scott Nichols.

Rusty Potter, the only person in the house at the time, was at the fire scene, Scovil said. According to the release, Potter told police he was asleep on the couch when he awoke to the smell of smoke. Potter said the fire started in the garage but did not know the cause.

The house was leveled by the fire, Scovil said, and is not salvageable.

“Fire crews struggled to get water to the scene due to extremely poor road conditions and lack of manpower,” he said.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal was investigating the cause of the fire on Thursday.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour