SOUTHAMPTON — A car fire that began early Friday morning in front of a home on Middle Road spread to the house before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.
Four residents and eight cats were displaced as a result of the blaze that started at 7:40 a.m., Southampton Fire Chief Richard Fasoli said.
Fasoli said one of the four residents that lives in the home started their car in the morning, went back inside and when they returned, the vehicle was on fire.
Two of the four residents were home at the time and neither were injured. All eight of the homeowner’s cats were saved.
The car was parked in the driveway in front of the brick house and the fire spread to the garage where it was contained, before being put out at approximately 11 a.m., the Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
Fasoli said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine responded and they believe the cause of the car fire was a mechanical issue.
“By the time we got there, I got there at 7:51 … the garage was fully involved,” Fasoli said.
He said about 50,000 gallons of water was used, between the closest hydrant about a quarter-mile away and another about a half-mile away.
Seven fire departments responded including Easthampton, Westhampton, Westfield and more, along with the 104th Fighter Wing of Westfield and Westover Air Reserve Base fire services.