A Treadmill Lane resident reported seeing flames and heavy smoke coming from the pitch of the gable roof over the stucco house at 202 Steep Hill Road at around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Fire Chief John Pokorny, who is also the town fire marshal, said the fire had a "huge head start" and may have been burning for as long as a half hour before the call came in.
Nobody was home and no pets were in the house at the time of the fire, Pokorny said, adding the homeowner was contacted and he later arrived at the scene. According to the field card for the property, the house is owned by Vasile and Cornelia Corjuc.
"We had the fire under control within 30 minutes," said Pokorny.
The fire marshal said the house suffered substantial damage, but that it was not yet safe enough to determine how much the fire spread within the house. It was also too soon to determine whether the house is a total loss.
"There are still some hot spots and we have to open some walls to make sure the fire isn't anywhere else," Pokorny said at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Police detoured traffic as firefighters set up a supply line drawing water by the bridge on Davis Hill Road to the scene of the fire.
Pokorny said 38 Weston volunteer firefighters responded to the call, along with four firefighters from Wilton. Meanwhile, an engine and crew covered Weston's headquarters in case another call came in.
A crew from CL&P shut off power to four houses while they fire was still raging, then restored it to every house but the one at 202 Steep Hill Road.
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