A Thursday fire heavily damaged a small home in Colona.

No one was injured in the fire at a small single-story home at 904 6th St., Colona. A mail carrier contsacted firefighters around 11:50 a.m. Thursday, Colona Fire Department Capt. Jeff Swan said, with the house badly aflame when firefighters arrived.

Damage was apparent throughout the structure. The interior, visible through windows, appeared completely burned out. Vinyl siding melted and ran off significant portions of the home, leaving fire-scarred wood. 

Firefighters had the blaze in the main level under control in about 10 minutes, Capt. Swan said, but firefighters also had to subdue a blaze in the attic. A damage estimate was not available Thursday afternoon, but the house appeared to be a total loss, he said.

The two people who lived in the home were not there when the fire occurred, he said. The fire's cause and origin are under investigation, Capt. Swan said.

Henry County tax records name Robert Stith of East Moline as the owner of the damaged home.

Mark Sides, who lives about 15 to 20 feet south of the home, said he was on his deck Thursday morning and smelled what he described as an electrical burning odor. He said he soon saw a mail carrier looking at the neighbors' house. 

They realized it was smoking and called the fire department. They also checked to make sure no one was home, he said.

"The flames were actually getting to my house," said Mr. Sides. He said the occupants of the home were a "nice young couple" with pets, but said the animals were not at home when the fire broke out.

Firefighters from Coal Valley, Silvis, Carbon Cliff, Barstow, Hampton and Geneseo assisted with the blaze.Breaking news; more information to follow.