CONWAY — Eight departments responded to an early morning structure fire that gutted a home at 457 North Poland Road on Saturday.
There were no injuries reported by the state fire marshal’s office, which said the cause appears to have been accidental, although the state police and Conway Fire Department continue their investigation.
According to state fire marshal’s office spokeswoman Jennifer Mieth, the owner of the home was away for the holidays during the time of the fire. She did not release the name of the owner.
The call went out just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday after a passer-by noticed the house was on fire, Conway Fire Chief Bob Baker said. Firefighters from Conway, Hawley, Ashfield, Williamsburg, Northampton, Buckland, Whately and South Deerfield responded. Old Deerfield covered in station.
Baker said that by the time he arrived, flames had engulfed the center of the house and the roof had collapsed.
“We didn’t have a fighting chance,” he said. Firefighters had the fire knocked down within 45 minutes, though smoke continued to rise from the home for hours.
Baker said the house’s damage was extensive, making it structurally unsound. He also said the cause of the fire is currently unknown, and that the fire marshal’s office was called in to investigate.
The Recorder will continue to provide more information as it becomes available.