SOUTHAMPTON — A fire scorched the attic of an East Street home, but firefighters managed to keep it from burning the main house.
The Southampton Fire Department was called to 15 East Street for the fire at 12:28 p.m. Friday, according to Fire Chief John Workman.
The two homeowners were not harmed, but the fire itself was a challenging one, he said. Firefighters were on scene until about 6:45 p.m.
“It was difficult to get at the seed of the fire,” Workman said.
A wood stove was lit inside the home, however, the chimney is old and the mortar between the bricks had weakened, causing the fire to break out in the breezeway connecting the house to the barn, storage room in the barn and attic, according to Workman. The main living area had minimal damage while the rear section of the home had heavy damage. Workman said a rough estimate of damages is about $150,000.
Southampton was assisted by Easthampton, Holyoke, Westhampton and Westfield fire departments, which helped prevent the fire from spreading to the main part of the house. Southampton Police closed off a section of East Street and set up detour signs.
Fighting the fire was a challenge in the cold, and one fire hydrant the department tried to use was frozen.
“In this cold weather, it’s challenging to keep water from freezing,” Workman said.
Workman said while a home fire is unfortunate, especially around the holiday season, the family is lucky to be safe. According to Workman, the Red Cross found lodging for the homeowners.
Workman reminds residents to check smoke detectors as a safety precaution for the winter season.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.