Fire Marshal Investigating Overnight Fire in City

All residents of a duplex on South Groton Street escaped an early morning fire unharmed Friday, despite the apparent lack of appropriate warning devices in the home. 

"All the residents self-evacuated," said Deputy Fire Chief Brian Rhodes of the seven or eight people who live in the two-unit home at 7 and 7 1/2 S. Groton St. "Unfortunately,  I don't think they had any working smoke detectors in the home."

In addition to the residents, which included three children, Rhodes said, he believes all animals escaped the fire as well, including a couple gerbils and at least one cat who was spotted hightailing it out of the area down the Heritage Trail that runs adjacent to South Groton Street around 3:40 a.m.

The two-alarm fire was called in around 3 a.m. and firefighters arrived to heavy smoke pouring from the home. As they got to work attacking the fire, sawing holes into the roof to vent it, flames tore through the roof, burning a significant portion of the upper half of the two-story home. 

Around 30 firefighters responded to the scene and mutual aid was called in for station coverage during the fire. As of 4 a.m., an hour after the initial call, firefighter were still working to douse the flames. 

Rhodes said the Fire Marshal is on scene investigating how the fire started, but that it appears it began inside the walls. He couldn't say how long it would be until they had an official determination.

Despite the early hour of the fire, a couple dozen people were standing outside watching the fire rip apart the home that sits in between West Hollis Street and Ledge Street in the area of 7th Street and Havana and Manilla streets. 

Rhodes said the house was rendered uninhabitable and the American Red Cross was on scene around 6 a.m. speaking with residents of the home who had been sitting outside watching the scene unfold for hours. Officials say five adults and three children have been displaced.  

This is an ongoing story and Patch will bring more updates as they become available.