An afternoon fire believed to have begun in the basement of a Pittsfield home displaced six people on Wednesday. One resident sustained minor injuries and a cat died in the blaze, according to Pittsfield Fire.
The two-alarm fire broke out around 2:15 p.m. First responders rescued one resident who was inside the home, and transported her to Concord Hospital, according to Pittsfield Fire Chief Peter Pszonowsky. She was medically evaluated and cleared for release shortly after. The building’s other five residents were not home at the time.
Firefighters also saved several cats and dogs from the building, but one cat did not make it out.
About 10 municipalities dispatched emergency staff to the fire and knocked it down shortly after arrival, Pszonowsky said.
The cause is still under investigation, Pszonowsky said, but it is currently believed to be related to the building’s basement wood stove.
The structure is a single-family home located at 8 Smith St with six adult residents, including owner August Gibson and several tenants. The residents’ relationships to one another were unclear, though Pszonowsky said that not all residents were part of the same family.
The building is no longer habitable, Pszonowsky said, and residents are staying with extended family.
