Smoke alarm saves lives of family as fire tears through central Massachusetts home
By Penny Kmitt, WBZ-TV
ASHBURNHAM - A smoke alarm saved a family in central Massachusetts early Friday morning after their home caught fire.
It happened around 5:30 a.m. at a house on Chapel Street in Ashburnham.
Harris Fagen, a junior at Oakmont Regional High School, was woken up by his mother, and the smell of smoke.
"I go downstairs and I just see a fire in a closet across the floor. I just went to get some clothes in the hall and it was just all smoke in my face," Harris said.
Westminster Fire Chief Kyle Butterfield told WBZ-TV that the fire started on the first floor and spread throughout the home. He said smoke alarms alerted the Fagen family and they escaped safely.
But they lost a beloved pet in the fire.
"We lost a cat which sucks. It's sad," Harris said.
The flames were brought under control, but firefighters were still looking for embers in the walls of the house.
Harris lost nearly all of his personal belongings in the fire, but he's trying to focus on the safety of his family and support of his friends.
"Just lucky that we're safe. That's all that matters," Harris said.
There is no word yet on how the fire started.
