CENTRAL — A two-month-old home on Mountain View Drive was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon and Central Fire Chief Ed Reynolds believes the culprit is a cigarette that ignited a pile of mulch.

“The mulch caught fire outside the house, causing the blaze to travel up the wall of the house and into the attic,” Reynolds said Wednesday morning.

Reynolds, who said the fire appears to be accidental, said the home had been burning for 30 to 45 minutes before Central firefighters were notified around 4 p.m. Clemson University, Morrison and Six Mile fire departments also responded to the scene and remained on standby.

“A neighbor saw smoke in the area, walked outside and called,” he said, adding, “By the time we received the call, we were on the scene in less than seven minutes.”

But by the time Reynolds and his crew arrived, they found the house, grass and woods surrounding it to be fully involved. Unfortunately, Reynolds said there was nothing that firefighters could do to save the house.

“The house is not worth endangering the lives of our firefighters,” Reynolds said, adding, “With the heat, yesterday, we had to be careful with the health of our firefighters.”

Reynolds said the first fire truck didn’t leave the scene until 7 p.m., with the final group departing at 10 p.m.

“It didn’t take long to extinguish the fire, but we had to leave someone on it until it was completely extinguished,” he said, adding, “With humidity that was around 20 percent, that is why the fire spread so quickly.”

The Central Police Department, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and Pickens County Red Cross responded to the scene, with the Red Cross dispatching volunteers to assist family members.

“They offered clients clothing, shoes, food, replacement of eyeglasses, replacement of life-sustaining medications, beddings and linens and shelter,” Pickens County Red Cross Executive Director Sarah Dow said late Wednesday.

Since July 2007, Dow said the local Red Cross chapter has provided emergency assistance to more than 54 families that have lost their Pickens County homes to fire, flood or other disasters.

Ironically, Tuesday marked the first day of the Central Fire Department’s new fiscal year that runs from July 1 through June 30. Last year, Reynolds said firefighters responded to 184 fire calls — 20 less than the previous fiscal year.

“We’ve also experienced 32 less fire calls than two years ago,” Reynolds said.