SALISBURY — A passing motorist called 911 Wednesday morning to report fire coming from the roof of a house on Kenly Street after 11 a.m.

Multiple units from surrounding departments assisted Salisbury fire department in both responding to the fire itself and providing coverage for the rest of the community while so many were on the scene.

According to neighbors, everyone inside the house was able to safely get out, and the owner of the residence was not at home at the time the fire broke out.

The fire reached through the roof and eaves at one point before firefighters got the flames under control, and heavy smoke billowed from the house throughout the neighborhood.

Tony Witherspoon, who lives two blocks away, said he saw the smoke from his yard and walked over to see what was happening.

“I knew that was too much smoke to be from somebody burning wood,” he said. “I got around the corner to where I could see the house and heard the explosion, and I mean it was big, a boom, like something really blew up.” He said he saw the residents running out of the home and heard the sirens from the fire trucks coming so he stuck around to make sure the fire didn’t spread close to his home.

The wind shifted directions several times, sending smoke in all directions, and several neighbors who were out watching and concerned ended up having to go inside their homes because they were coughing.

The investigation into the cause of the fire will start once the fire and hot spots are fully extinguished, and this story will be updated once that information is available.