NSW man returns to a fire-destroyed home

A man who was away on holiday has been made homeless after his house was destroyed by fire in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Firefighters were called to a small single level house at Muswellbrook, in the early hours of Wednesday to find the house engulfed in flames.

Emergency crews were initially concerned there were trapped occupants but later discovered the owner was out of town, a NSW Fire & Rescue spokeswoman said.