Emergency crews from multiple departments responded to a house fire early Friday morning at the corner of State Route 7 and County Road 38 in the Town of Bainbridge. (Photo by Cindy Tiley)

BAINBRIDGE – Multiple fire departments responded to a suspected meth-contaminated home that became fully engulfed early Friday morning.

Officials say the condemned house, located at the corner of State Route 7 and County Road 38 in the Town of Bainbridge, is a total loss. It was confirmed that no firefighters were injured knocking out the blaze, but the investigation is ongoing.

The incident was reported by a volunteer firefighter around midnight. Crews were on the scene 15 minutes later; but because of safety regulations that restrict first responders from entering a condemned building, firefighters were unable to go inside the house and couldn’t say at the time if anyone was inside.

Bainbridge Fire Chief Fred Bell declined to comment Friday morning.

The house has a checkered past which has garnered the attention of town officials and local police for months. Reports of squatters and drug use had been addressed by law enforcement and codes enforcement multiple times before Chenango County Code Enforcement deemed the house “uninhabitable” last week.

In spite of the house being condemned, officials say police have responded to reports of people still living there, including one call that was made the day before the fire.