FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. -- Forsyth and Guilford County fire crews had a difficult time responding to a fire early Thursday morning on Freeman Road.

Nine departments from the two counties had to respond because of the weather conditions. Matters were made worse due to the location of the house; not visible from the road; and a limited availability of water.

"There are no more obstacles that can be thrown at these guys that they had to deal with this morning," says Gary Styers, Forsyth County’s fire marshal. "Not only uphill in the snow and ice to get to the actual fire scene, but they didn't have a lot of water in this area to put the fire out so we're having to haul that in, haul that out."

Though the woman who lived in the home made it out unharmed, her house was a total loss.

Styers says the woman made it out thanks to a properly installed smoke detector.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.