A small, smoldering piece of charcoal caused the total loss of a 1,400-square-foot home Tuesday night in Hall County.

When Hall County firefighters arrived at 3231 Lake Ranch Drive around 11:30 Tuesday night, they found a heavy fire in the home, said Capt. Scott Cagle.

The fire, which started from a piece of charcoal that had fallen out of a recently used grill on the home’s back porch, had spread to the attic of the house and the roof was beginning to cave, Cagle said.

The owner of the house, Levi Connolly, and another person had already escaped with their dogs by the time firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported.

The fire has been deemed accidental, and damages are estimated to be about $165,000, said Cagle.