A house fire March 16 in Buford has been ruled accidental.

Hall County Fire Services Capt. Zachary Brackett said the home was a total loss. The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical fault in an outlet, Brackett said.

Fire crews responding from Hall and Gwinnett counties found a vehicle in a garage on fire at the 5,000-square-foot lakefront home in the 5900 block of Island View Drive off of Lakeshore Drive. The blaze then reached the home’s attic.

Crews were operating in a defensive mode because of the heavy fire upon arrival.

The residents were not home at the time.