Fire rips through Townsend home
BOSTON – Flames ripped through a home on Main Street in Townsend on Sunday.
The fire started around 10 a.m. and was reported by a man who saw smoke pouring out of the home as he drove past.
"At one point there were flames shooting out of the top," said neighbor Julia Degiovanni.
Firefighters from Townsend and 14 surrounding towns worked throughout the afternoon to control the flames, taking four hours to fully extinguish the blaze.
Upon arrival, crews could only gain limited access to the building according to Townsend Fire Chief Gary Shepherd.
"With the compromised floors both on the first floor and the second floor we couldn't put crews inside for very long," said Shepherd. "We had to evacuate the building."
Firefighters rescued a dog that was trapped inside the building.
"We got in the building, found an unconscious dog and a rabbit," said Shepard. "[We] retrieved the dog, resuscitated the dog and to my understanding after they gave it air and oxygen, the dog was alive and walking around."
No one was home at the time of the fire.
A firefighter was transported to the hospital but there is no word yet about the extent of his injuries.
The fire remains under investigation with no word yet of a cause.
