Firefighters responded to smoke coming from an unoccupied building around 3 p.m. Wednesday in Chicora.

“We had smoke coming from the back part of the structure between the first and second floors,” said Cody Craig, chief of the Chicora Fire Department.

Firefighters found the fire had extended to the second floor and said they had to peel back the siding to reach the hot spot.

Craig said the fire was out within minutes of their arrival. He said his department could not identify what started the fire.

Harley Flick, who owns the building, said he was working on it, but not in the past couple of days.

“We were revamping the place,” he said.

Flick's sister, Kathy Elder of Butler, said they were worried that someone squatting in the building might have been injured in the fire. She said a few days ago she saw what appeared to be a blanket or a sleeping bag in the house.

“There were some disturbances inside,” she said.

Firefighters confirmed that no one was injured in the fire.

Flick said he was relieved no one was inside.

“That's the biggest thing,” he said.

The Chicora department was assisted by other local fire departments and the fire marshal was called to continue the investigation.