TURNERS FALLS — While enjoying a fire on Christmas Eve, a High Street family had to call the fire department and evacuate as the fire spread from the fireplace into the rest of the house.
Cracks in the chimney had allowed the fire to spread into the walls and floor of the home, according to Turners Falls Fire Captain Kyle Cogswell. The Turners Falls Fire Department was called to 28 High St. just before 9:30 p.m.
“We worked at pulling up the floor boards and getting in the interior of the walls,” Cogswell said.
The department raised a second alarm and fighting the blaze took until just after 1 a.m. Christmas morning, he said.
No injuries were reported, but the family of four and their holiday guests stayed with a family member in Greenfield for the night, according to Cogswell. The home is habitable, but the fire department estimates that the fire caused $100,000 in damages.
“The fire chief and the family came to the conclusion that it was best if they stayed somewhere else (that night), and the family was receptive to it,” he said.
The timing of the fire was a sensitive one for staffing, Cogswell said.
“Fortunately we are staffed 24/7 here, but as far as when we started calling in additional personnel, they were leaving Christmas Eve gatherings with their family and friends,” he said.