Several animals were saved in a house fire in Jaffrey Tuesday afternoon that significantly damaged a North Street home.
Fire Chief David Chamberlain said on scene that the two people that live in the house have been displaced due to the “significant damage.” The residents were not injured as no one was home when the fire broke out.
“There were several animals we were able to get out eventually,” Chamberlain said. “At this point in time, it appears the only things unaccounted for are some baby chickens. We think they might have been in the area with the most damage.”
Chamberlain said he saw at least two dogs, one cat, a hedgehog and multiple rabbits. The cat had to be revived with oxygen.
Meredith Hardwick, who works at Coll’s Garden Center & Florist of Jaffrey, said she was coming back from a delivery when she noticed the fire.
“You couldn’t see the road … the whole street was yellow and black smoke,” Hardwick said.
Hardwick said she pulled up onto the lawn and called 911. She said she also checked on the neighbors and opened up the chicken cages.
Baron Eddings, who also works at Colls, went into the house to see if anyone was home, Hardwick said.
“At least she and her daughter weren’t home,” Hardwick said.
Chamberlain said the fire department was dispatched to the scene at 1:41 p.m. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm before firefighters arrived on scene due to the heavy smoke and fire observed.
There was significant damage from the basement to the second floor. Chamberlain said the department is investigating the cause of the fire, but nothing seemed suspicious Tuesday afternoon, he said.
Being an older house with multiple additions helped to compartmentalize the fire from spreading to other parts of the house, Chamberlain said.
“In a fire nowadays, if you can compartmentalize things it stops the spread of fire or slows it down,” Chamberlain said. “We are pushing hard to teach people to sleep with their bedroom doors closed and when they leave their homes to make sure doors are closed.”
Chamberlain said eight to ten departments, including Rindge, Peterborough, New Ipswich, Keene, Mason, Greenville and Winchendon, Massachusetts, responded to the scene.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.