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December 21, 2009

House destroyed, pets killed by fire

By CASEY RYAN VOCK

WILMINGTON — A family of five was displaced and their pets were killed by a fire that erupted Monday afternoon in their living room and destroyed their home.

Fire departments from Wilmington, Lake Placid, Upper Jay and Keene were called to a chalet-style, one-story A-frame home at 37 Juniper Hill Lane at about 12:36 p.m. for a report of an active fire.

"We could see the column of smoke from the fire station," said Wilmington First Assistant Fire Chief Randy Preston, who was one of the first firefighters to arrive. "It was fully involved."

Although still standing, the home — occupied by Randy Patterson, Tammy Knox and three children — is a total loss.

"They lost everything," Preston said, adding that one child is about 8 years old, and the other two are both 5 years old. "Several pets all perished in the fire. They had both dogs and cats."

None of the people who live at the home were there when the blaze started, according to Preston.

Patterson's brother, who is believed to have reported the fire, was the only person at the home when the fire started, he said.

"The cause is still under investigation by the Essex County Cause and Origin Team," Preston said. "But it appears it was possibly started by ashes from a wood stove, which was in the living room."

About 40 firefighters battled the blaze throughout the afternoon Monday, while additional personnel stood by at the Jay station. The units were all back in service by about 5 p.m.

"There was a hydrant system there, so we had no problems with water," Preston said. "However, the building had a second roof on it, which was made of tin."

Preston explained that a fire would have burned through a wooden roof, allowing air to escape and water to penetrate the top of the structure. A tin roof, on the other hand, "confines" fire and "makes it very difficult to fight," he said.

"It's like being in an oven."

The home's walls were made of Homasote, a brand-name cellulose-based fiberboard, which Preston said — combined with the tin roof — led to the fire's swift spread through the structure.

"When it catches fire, it's like gasoline," he said. "That is how the fire progressed so quickly from the time we were called to being fully involved. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before it was a total loss."

The couple and the children are staying in Lake Placid with Patterson's parents, according to Preston.

"We notified the Red Cross after the fire this afternoon," he said.

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