Rochester house fire extinguished without injury

Oct 31, 2021

ROCHESTER — A house fire caused significant damage to a Rochester family’s home on Friday, Oct. 19, but all occupants and pets were able to escape from the house without serious injury, according to the Rochester Fire Department.

The Rochester Fire Department received the emergency call at 12:39 p.m. and arrived at the scene just eight minutes later to find heavy smoke and a roaring fire in the attached garage.

By the time firefighters arrived, all occupants and pets had been evacuated from the house. One resident was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters moved aggressively to contain the fire and were able to stop it from reaching the living area of the home.

Though they extinguished the garage fire quickly, fire crews couldn’t stop it from spreading to the attic above the living area of the home. Interior crews gained access to the attic and extinguished the fire there as well.

Firefighters remained at the house for about two hours before the last hotspots were brought under control.

The cause of the fire appeared to be accidental but is still under investigation by the Rochester Fire Department.

A mutual aid tanker was requested from Freetown Fire, and the Rochester Animal Control was called in to assist in sheltering the family pets while the residents deal with the aftermath of the fire.