COLRAIN — No one was harmed though a family was a displaced after a kitchen fire caused serious damage to a single-family home at 129 North Green River Road early Saturday night.
Fire Chief Nicholas Anzuoni said his department received a call about the fire from resident Maria Sisum at 5:35 p.m. and had crews on scene until after midnight extinguishing a blaze that was “just shy of a third alarm.” One fire engine remained on scene until around 4 a.m. on fire watch.
Sisum, who was cooking dinner, said she noticed the fire begin behind the stove. Anzuoni recounted that the kitchen was “fully engulfed” in flames and that the house suffered “heavy damage” throughout. He said it is unknown whether the appliance caused the fire or if it was electrical in nature and that an investigation is ongoing.
Sisum was able to escape safely alongside her granddaughter, Jaylynn Peters, the house’s only other occupant. Two other residents, Sisum’s sons, Michael and Eli Griswold, were not home at the time of the fire. While landlord Paul Hurtig had the house is insured, the residents did not have renter’s insurance and are currently staying with family in Hawley.
“All things considered, it went OK,” Anzuoni said.
Also recovered safely were the house’s four dogs and three of the house’s four cats. The fourth cat is believed to be loose around the property. Sisum said she is hopeful the cat will be found.
“We saw cat prints in the snow and we’re hoping,” she said.
Anzuoni said that, coincidentally, he used to live in the house, which helped his department more thoroughly assess the situation. Upon initial assessment, he said, “the shell is fairly intact,” but it would take extensive repairs to preserve the building considering heavy damage was sustained in the kitchen, upper-level rooms and roof of the one-and-a-half story home. The rest of the interior suffered severe smoke damage.
“My brother Mike, his room (was destroyed after the ceiling was torn down),” said Jenni Griswold, a daughter of Sisum who periodically stayed over at the residence. “I feel the worst for him.”
Griswold added that the majority of possessions in the building were lost. Still, she spoke optimistically of the tragedy’s outcome.
“The two most important things came out of that house,” Griswold said in reference to Sisum and Peters. “Everything else is replaceable.”
Donations to benefit the family can be sent to 2130 Mohawk Trail in Shelburne Falls, with checks made out to Maria Sisum.
Colrain, Heath, Leyden, Buckland, Shelburne Falls, Shelburne Center, Conway, Greenfield, Turners Falls and Bernardston were among the Franklin County fire departments to respond to the scene, with Ashfield covering Colrain’s station. Vermont’s Guilford, Halifax, Wilmington and Whitingham fire departments also provided mutual aid.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.