It took firefighters from the St. John’s Regional Fire Department several hours, but they finally got the upper hand of a stubborn blaze in a home on Groves Road.

Platoon Chief Ken Dinn says when they got to the scene the house was already fully involved, but the lone occupant and five dogs all managed to escape unharmed.

Part of the challenge presented by the fire was the fact that it had burned through the floors, making it impossible for firefighters to get inside and get at the seat of the fire.

Water was brought into the area with the use of a tanker truck. An excavator has been brought in to tear down what remains of the structure, which was destroyed.