Firefighters save Killington home from afternoon blaze
Top floor heavily damaged, but house still standing
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Firefighters from Killington, Rutland Town, Bridgewater and Pittsfield battle a fire on East Mountain Road in Killington on Sunday. Vyto Starinskas / Rutland Herald |
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By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer - Published: November 9, 2009
KILLINGTON -- A Killington family's home on East Mountain Road was heavily damaged in a fire Sunday afternoon that started in a wall in back of their woodstove.
Killington Deputy Fire Chief Jim Fiore said that the home of Marion and Fred Withum lost its top floor with the rest of the home receiving heavy water and smoke damage.
Fiore said the family had started a fire in the woodstove in their basement and were watching the New England Patriots game when they discovered the fire, sometime after 2 p.m.
"We lost the top floor and the roof," Fiore said. He said when firefighters got to the home, fire was already punching through the roof.
Fiore said that few Killington firefighters responded to the initial call because of weekend work commitments, so the call was made to other departments to help fight the fire.
He said aiding Killington were Rutland Town, Chittenden, Pittsfield and Bridgewater.
"It was a good save. We didn't have a lot of people at first but everybody turned out," said Fiore.
Fiore said he had just picked up some food and was heading home to watch the end of the game when the fire was reported.
It was a beautiful fall day, with temperatures hitting 60, and Fiore said he was perplexed at the initial report of the fire.
"I thought, 'Why is anybody using a fireplace today?'" he said. "On a cold, raw day you expect it, but you don't expect it on a day like today
susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com
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