A two-story log home on Bartlett Road in Sidney was destroyed by an intense fire that had firefighters on the defense Thursday evening, the Sidney chief said.

After reports of the fire came in around 5 p.m., firefighters converged on the home at 93 Bartlett Road that was engulfed in flames, according to Sidney Fire Chief Richard Jandreau.

The fire was so intense that firefighters were forced to handle the blaze from outside of the home, Jandreau said.

“It was a hard fire,” the chief said. “Everything collapsed from the roof and there was close to 20-foot debris coming down. It was an old log home too, so it was really hot and dangerous. We went into defense mode all the way.”

It took firefighters more than 5 hours to get the fire under control, Jandreau said, and crews didn’t get back to the station until 11:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The suspected origin of the blaze that broke out when the homeowner wasn’t home may be the chimney or wood-burning stove, Jandreau said.

Belgrade, Mt. Vernon, Oakland, Rome and Smithfield fire departments helped Sidney with the blaze. BK Construction aided firefighters in moving debris from the scene.