ADDISON — Sixty firefighters from three departments were unable to save the Addison home of a family of five on Sunday, said Addison Fire Chief Chris Mulliss.
Mulliss said firefighters from his department reached the Town Line Road home blaze within seven or eight minutes after being alerted just before noon on Sunday, but the fire had already spread too far between the ceiling and roof of the mobile home.
“It was a fully involved structure fire when we got there,” Mulliss said. “It was just a total loss.”
The good news, he said, is the family members of homeowner Kenneth Bell and all their pets got out unharmed. Mulliss notified the Red Cross, and that organization was already assisting the family on Sunday.
According to a Red Cross press release, Red Cross volunteers met with the family “and have ensured everyone has a safe place to sleep and has food, clothing and other essentials. Over the next several days, Red Cross client casework volunteers will stay in contact with the family and provide referrals, as they begin their road to recovery.”
But few, if any, of their possessions could be salvaged, Mulliss said.
“They lost everything,” he said.
As well as Addison firefighters, personnel from Bridport and Vergennes responded to the scene. Mulliss said the mutual aid departments were on the scene for about two hours, and his department for about three. Vergennes Area Rescue Squad and Town Line First Response personnel also stood by during the fire.
Mulliss pinpointed the cause as related to the home’s wood stove.
“It apparently started out as a chimney fire,” he said, before spreading through the structure’s roofing and ceiling material.
Family members tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire as they phoned for help, Mulliss said.
“It’s just an awful circumstance,” he said.