Bendigo police Crime Investigation Unit Detective Luke Simons said an exact cause of the blaze had not been determined.

“But it’s definitely not being treated as suspicious,” he said.

One of the occupants of the home has arrived home and is assisting investigators.

UPDATE 10.05am: A Pallett Street resident says he was relieved to find the owners of the house were not home at the time of the blaze.

Phil Whittle and his wife Glenda were in their home about 11.20pm when their dogs started "going off tap".

The couple initially thought there was a car on fire in the street.

"We came outside and realised it was the house on fire," he said.

"We were hoping no one was home and luckily there wasn't.

"They are only new to the neighbourhood - they wouldn't have even been a year.

"I only know them to give them a wave as we drive past.

"It's a really sociable neighbourhood up here."

The home was substantially renovated more than a year ago.

A previous owner had sought to demolish the house, but was unable to do so because it had a heritage overlay.

Ironically, builders who renovated the house were busy working on a new property being built next door.

That property escaped damage.

UPDATE 9.30am: Fire cause investigators are on the scene of a house fire in Golden Square.

Fire crews attended the Pallett Street house shortly after 11pm on Sunday, but the blaze had quickly taken hold of the property.

The house's owners - believed to be a couple with two infant children - were not home at the time.

They are currently travelling back to Bendigo.

Golden Square CFA Captain Tim McNeilly said a neighbour alerted the CFA of the fire about 11.10pm.

"We arrived to find some heavy smoke and fire issuing from the property," he said.

"There was no one home at the time.

"Crews made entry through the front door and did an aggressive attack on the fire and we were able to bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes.

"The fire spread into the roof space, but the property remains standing as it is.

"At this stage the cause is undetermined."

A CFA fire investigator is surveying the scene with police.

The family has lived in the house for less than 12 months.

A neighbour said the family was quiet and “kept to themselves a lot”.

“I have only met the mother – when they first moved in I thought there is no around so I dropped by and gave her my phone number and said ‘if you ever need anything, I’m just on top of the hill’,” she said.

“But I’ve never really seen people there, there’s never any visitors.

“They are just a quiet family, with two little kids.

“It’s very sad.

“I have the fire alert (app) and it said there was a fire in Golden Square, the next thing I can hear the sirens in our street.

“I was just praying they wouldn’t be in the house when it happened.”

A Golden Square house was destroyed by fire overnight.

Fire crews attended the Pallett Street house shortly before midnight, but the blaze had quickly taken hold of the property.

No one was believed to  be home at the time.

More to come.