Photo courtesy of Gouverneur Fire Department.

MACOMB -- Gouverneur firefighters responded to a blaze that destroyed a 150 South Shore Road home Monday.

Gouverneur Fire Chief Thomas Conklin, who also serves as a county fire investigator, said temperatures were -14 degrees as the firefighters arrived at the fully engulfed home at around 8:40 a.m.

“It was a total loss due to its location, it was about 20 miles from the fire station and the roads were hard to access with our trucks,” he said.

Conklin said the home was also near the lake and the cold was compounded by gusty winds.

Conklin said four Gouverneur trucks responded to the scene as well as firefighters from the Oxbow Fire Department.

Homeowner Elizabeth Gundlach was able to exit safely after being alerted to a smoke detector.

Conklin said initially a furnace malfunction was believed to have caused the fire, but investigation revealed a space heater used to defrost pipes in a crawl space was the source of the blaze.

The home was insured.

Conklin said this year has been a busy one for North Country firefighters as homeowners are using alternative heat sources to combat frigid temperatures.