Fire destroyed a large, 130-year-old home in one of Alabama’s largest historic districts over the weekend, and neighbors say it could have spread without the extended efforts of the Huntsville fire department and the fortunate placement of two fire hydrants.

The house at 426 Randolph Ave. caught fire overnight Saturday while the owners were out of town. One of the owners was at the scene Monday morning but declined to comment beyond confirming she and her husband were away and still did not know the cause of the fire. She confirmed the family pets were safely boarded elsewhere at the time.

“If it hadn’t rained Saturday, I think our house would be gone, too,” next door neighbor Charles Money said. Firefighters also poured water on Money’s house in the neighborhood where large homes can sit close each other on relatively narrow, but deep lots.

This historic home in downtown Huntsville, Ala., is a virtual replica of a house next door that burned to the ground overnight on Oct. 26, 2019.

The house was one of two “sister houses” sitting side by side and built in the Eastlake style of Victorian architecture. The neighboring house could be a model if the homeowners choose to rebuild, said Huntsville Historic Preservationist Katie Stamps.

Because the area is one of the South’s largest residential historic districts with homes dating to and before the Civil War, any rebuilding or building is more complicated than a typical neighborhood. Regulations govern home styles, materials and colors, among other things.

New homes can be built in the district, but they have to be complementary to what is already there. There are guidelines for plans, materials and construction, Stamps said, but many only apply to existing buildings. Any rebuilding plans will have to be reviewed and approved by the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission.