Firefighters save Killington home from afternoon blaze
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By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER - Published: November 10, 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 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 their home was burning, 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 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 Rutland Town, Chittenden, Pittsfield and Bridgewater offered assistance.
"It was a good save. We didn't have a lot of people at first, but everybody turned out," Fiore said.
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 warm 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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