Blaze Destroys Home, Leaves Firefighter Hurt In Ayer
AYER (CBS) -- A fire destroyed a house and barn and left a firefighter with injuries in Ayer Wednesday afternoon.
The fire began in a barn attached to a home on Washington Street, and spread to the back of the house.
Fire Capt. Paul Fillebrown said the fire was fueled by material stored for construction.
"Just because the age of the building, it's a pretty old structure, with that type it doesn't' take much for fire to spread from roof to attic to basement," said Fillebrown.
The firefighter was on the roof of the house ventilating when he was injured. The extent of his injuries wasn't yet known but they aren't believed to be life-threatening.
"They brought a stretcher up, put him down, and four guys almost slid down the ladder with him," said David Melpignano, who was in the area when the fire broke out and recorded video of the firefighter being brought to safety.
A family with an elderly relative lived in the home, but it was not yet clear how many residents in total were displaced.
The cause of the blaze was not yet known.
"It's really bad this happened this time of year. It's right before Thanksgiving, and obviously there's a lot of damage over there," said neighbor Ross Overcash.