Family loses two dogs in house fire

A fire Wednesday morning heavily damaged a Springfield family’s home and also killed their two pet dogs.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150226/NEWS02/702269913

Springfield firefighters quickly extinguished a smokey house fire in the basement of 109 Merrill Street with an assist from Ascutney and Bellows Falls. Published February 26, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Family loses two dogs in house fire By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — A fire Wednesday morning heavily damaged a Springfield family’s home and also killed their two pet dogs. Neither Ed Wells nor his wife Erin were home at the time of the 11 a.m. fire at 109 Merrill St. Wells said that he had taken his son to a dentist appointment and his wife was at work when the fire was called in. Springfield Fire Chief Russell Thompson said the fire started in the basement of the small cape and did extensive damage to the basement and other parts of the house. He said the fire may have done serious structural damage to the house. He said the fire was under investigation, and there was no known cause at this time. Thompson said the fire was first called in as smoke coming from a window, and by the time police arrived, smoke was coming from the eaves. Fire crews learned that pets might be in the building and attempted to find and rescue them, Thompson said. Firefighters tore siding from a corner of the house to get at the fire, and several windows were broken out. Wells said the family had a wood-pellet furnace in the basement, but he said he didn’t know if that was the source of the fire. He said the family had lived in the house since 2007. Wells said the family’s two dogs died in the fire, and the family’s cat was missing. “The firefighters say that cats often find a place to hide,” he said. The couple will be staying with family and friends, he said. The house was too damaged to be lived in. Assisting Springfield firefighters were crews from Bellows Falls and Ascutney, while Charlestown, N.H., fire crews and Golden Cross Ambulance covered the Springfield fire station.