FARMINGTON – A stubborn fire destroyed a two-family apartment house at the corner of High and Maple streets Saturday night. A SAD 9 teacher and his three children, and another tenant lost their belongings in the blaze.

The fire is estimated to have caused nearly $100,000 in damage and destroyed belongings, said Farmington Deputy Fire Chief Clyde Ross said.

No one was home at 269 High St. when the fire broke out, Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell said.

There were flames on the first floor when firefighters arrived, Bell said.

It’s an old building, Ross said, with balloon framing. Every chamber in the wall is like a chimney, and the fire quickly went up the walls to the attic, he said.

The house also had a tin roof and original metal ceilings in some rooms that had been covered over with more recent construction, Ross said.

The fire “was very hot and very difficult to combat,” Ross said.

The building, which had been renovated, is one of the older houses in Farmington. Its owned by Ricky Collins of Wilton, Ross said.

Some young people walking by noticed the fire and hailed a passing Farmington police officer, who called in the alarm, Bell said. That was at 9:20 p.m., according to Ross. Forty-two firefighters from Farmington, Industry and Strong responded to the blaze, Ross added.

Firefighters left the fire about midnight but returned a couple hours later to douse the remains of the building after the rubble and framework had re-ignited. Firefighters cleared the station about 4 a.m. Sunday, Ross said.

They were back at the scene Sunday, though, joining with state fire investigator Tim York who examined what was left of the structure to help firefighters determine the cause and origin.

Ross said the blaze isn’t suspicious.

SAD 9 teacher Matt Giustra and his three children, Zyrah, 9, Avery, 6, and Quincy, 4, were visiting out of town when the fire struck, Ross said.

First floor tenant Pam Boyker was in the process of moving out, Ross said. He wasn’t sure Sunday if she still lived at the house.

The Farmington Ladies’ Auxiliary provided hot and cold drinks and snacks to firefighters, Ross said.

Two LifeStar ambulances stood by the scene, he said.

Community members were rallying around the families. American Red Cross representatives were at the property Sunday to help them with immediate needs.

Collins had insurance on the building, Ross said, but the tenants had no fire insurance.

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