LAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) – Authorities say four people have been found dead inside a house destroyed by fire in Missouri.

Lake Ozark Fire Protection District assistant chief Matt Birdsley said in a news release that firefighters rushed to the home just before 1 a.m. Thursday. Birdsley says the first crews on the scene tried to search the property but that the fire was too fierce, forcing them to switch to a defensive operation from outside the home.

Birdsley says the names of the dead aren’t yet available. The house is considered a total loss and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Lake Ozark is about 120 miles (195 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City.