HATFIELD — An early 20th century home on King Street was destroyed in a fire Sunday afternoon, according to Fire Chief Robert Flaherty.
Flaherty said firefighters responded to reports of the blaze at 52 King St. at 1:30 p.m. When they got there, flames were already observed coming out from the front and right side of the building, and heavy smoke was pouring from its attic.
Understanding from the homeowner, and sole resident, that she was not inside the dwelling, Flaherty said firefighters started an exterior attack, and then attempted to go inside to keep the fire from extending to the back side of the building.
But a soft floor underneath prevented firefighters from remaining inside, and, using a Northampton Fire ladder truck, a large amount of water was poured onto the home from above, Flaherty said.
Around 25 firefighters were on scene, with Hadley Fire Department providing station coverage. There were four fire engines and the Northampton ladder truck, a rescue vehicle and a Rapid Intervention Team from South Deerfield, along with auxiliary support.
Flaherty said an excavator was contacted while the fire was in progress to take down walls and portions of the home because of the challenges that were encountered.
“There were a lot of pockets and voids we couldn’t get to,” Flaherty sad.
Those emergency responders at scene were also hampered by the limited water supply in that part of town, making it inefficient to get water to the scene.
One cat was reported inside, but it’s uncertain if that pet perished or made it out, as firefighters were unable to get inside to look for it.
The resident was able to stay with family at an adjacent property. According to the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds, the home is owned by Betsy Speeter.
Firefighters spent until 7:30 p.m. putting out hot spots and had a fire watch in place for an additional two hours.
The home, built in 1900, is considered a total loss, and investigators from the state fire marshal’s office are still investigating the cause, Flaherty said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
