By GORDON D. KING

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Arson has been ruled as the cause of a fire which destroyed a Weirs Beach home early Saturday morning.

Firefighters from six area fire departments battled the first-alarm fire at 13 Zebley Shore Drive in the vicinity of St. Helena’s Church.

The single-story portion of the home was destroyed. Firefighters were able to save a two-story addition.

State Fire Marshal Donald Bliss, Fire Chief Kenneth Erickson and Police Chief Tom Oetinger said in a statement released Sunday that the cause of the fire has been ruled as "incendiary in nature." No other details about the cause were released.

The Fire Department was unable to immediately provide the homeowners’ name.

The investigation into the pre-dawn fire is continuing.

The fire was reported at 4:49 a.m.

The first firefighters on the scene entered the burning home and were able to determine that it was unoccupied.

It took firefighters about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control.

Erickson estimates damage in excess of $100,000.

Firefighters from the Laconia, Gilford, Belmont, Franklin, Meredith and Holderness fire departments responded to the scene. Center Harbor covered the Weirs station and Winnisquam covered the Central Station.