A fire has destroyed the home of a Rochester-area woman, who was on vacation at the time the blaze broke out.

Sally Gill is a long-time friend of the homeowner, who isn’t named in reports. Gill said that her friend had just moved into her Penfield home, and at the time of the fire, gone on a two-week vacation on the east coast.

“She just moved in,” Gill told 13 WHAM. “She just retired.”

The Webster Fire Department responded to calls about the fire at 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28. However, neighbors saw the flames break out at 20 Miyah Drive around 11 p.m. on Monday and called 911.

Investigators reported that the fire couldn’t be contained.

The fire is believed to have stemmed from a deck light on the back of the house, which was left on while the owner was away. The light itself or the wiring leading to the light may have overheated, investigators said, and caused the fire to break out.

Assistant Fire Marshal of Penfield Jeffrey David said that this is something homeowners need to be wary of when they go on a trip. “This can be used as a little bit of a warning if you are going to be gone for an extended period of time,” he said.

Friends alerted the homeowner to the fire via email. Likely at a loss for words, the owner merely responded with “It was my house.”

Gill visited to see if she could salvage anything for her friend but reported that the home was “totaled.”

And the roof damage was the most telling of all, according to local firefighters.

The house hadn’t been built more than a year ago, said Webster Fire Chief Jim Thayer. Even though experts say a typical roof can last between 20 and 25 years these days, Thayer blamed the roof’s lightweight truss construction for the fire’s devastation.

“This lightweight truss construction adds fire load to the attic, as well as decreases the size of the individual sticks so they burn a lot faster and hotter,” Thayer explained. As a result, the roof winds ended up becoming fuel for the fire.

Gill is sad for what her friend has lost. The owner had only bought the home in March, and hosted a gathering with close friends shortly after moving in.

“She spent a lot of energy choosing just what she wanted,” Gill said. “I am so sad that she’s going to lose all this but I’m glad that she is okay.”