Union-News (Springfield, MA)
Author: STAFF; UNION-NEWS (Springfield, Mass.)
ASHFIELD, MA – A house off Buckland Road was destroyed by fire yesterday morning, but there was no one at home when the blaze erupted.
Fire Chief Douglas Field said the origin of the blaze at the home of James Sullivan hasn’t been determined, but it is not deemed suspicious. Preliminary evidence points to an electrical problem or a problem with a space heater.
The site will be sifted today to try to determine the exact cause, he said.
Firefighters were notified of the fire shortly after 8 a.m., and arrived to find flames already shooting through the roof.
The two-story home is on a hill above Sanderson Academy, with limited vehicular access. Only one pumper truck was able to get close, leaving a second to set up in the academy’s ball field below, requiring firefighters to lug hoses up “a good-sized hill” to reach the house, Field said.
“It took a little bit of climbing to get to.”
Field said Sullivan’s two cats apparently were outside the home when the fire struck, and were not injured. They were spotted checking out the smoldering debris after the fire was extinguished.
Sullivan, who bought what then was a summer house 20 years ago and converted it for year-round living, intends to erect a new house on the site, according to Field.
The house, said Field, was “completely gutted,” and “there is no way to salvage it.”
Sullivan was at the scene, notified of the fire while at his place of work in Westfield.
Assisting Ashfield were the Goshen, Plainfield, Buckland, Conway, Shelburne Falls, Shelburne Center and Hawley fire departments.