Four pets killed in Middleboro house fire
A fire at 38 Vernon St. in Middleboro was reported Aug. 6. Photo courtesy Lakeville Fire Department 
The home at 38 Vernon St. on Aug. 7, the day after the fire. Photo by Christian Uva
A fire at 38 Vernon St. in Middleboro was reported Aug. 6. Photo courtesy Lakeville Fire Department
The home at 38 Vernon St. on Aug. 7, the day after the fire. Photo by Christian Uva
MIDDLEBORO -- Four pets died in a house fire Thursday afternoon at 38 Vernon St., Interim Fire Chief Dana Fontaine said.
Middleboro fire crews responded to a single-story wood-frame house after a fire was reported at 1:09 p.m. Aug. 6, the chief said.
When crews arrived, they saw flames coming from the front windows of the home. They entered the home and extinguished the fire fairly quickly, Fontaine said.
The house’s occupants were not home at the time of the fire, but two birds, two cats, and two snakes were inside the structure. Firefighters successfully rescued one bird and one snake, but both cats, a bird and a snake died in the fire, the chief said..
"The home was outside of our water district, requiring multiple tankers from mutual aid companies," Fontaine said. "We're grateful for the help of our firefighting partners, their assistance was vital at the scene. Together, our crews did a great job knocking this fire down fast."
Mutual aid assistance from neighboring towns assisted in fighting the fire. Raynham and Plympton fire departments sent tankers to the scene, the Bridgewater Fire Department provided an engine and the Lakeville Fire Department covered the station.
Fire crews cleared the scene around 3:45 p.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Middleboro Fire Department.
