WILTON – Firefighters from six departments were unable to save a newly renovated farmhouse and attached barn on Weld Road late Saturday.
The fire was out of control when firefighters arrived and the homestead burned to the ground.
The cause is undetermined because of the extent of damage but the fire is believed to have started upstairs in the back of the house, Wilton Fire Chief Sonny Dunham said.
The owner Richard Austin and family were living at a camp on Clearwater Lake in the Farmington/Industry area, Dunham said, while they redid the old farmhouse and barn.
They had been working on the house for the past 9 to 10 months, he said.
“They were three weeks away from moving in,” Dunham said.
No one was at the homestead when the fire started.
A passerby reported the blaze at about 10 p.m., Dunham said.
Probably about half the house was fully engulfed when he arrived at the site, Dunham said.
About 50 firefighters from Chesterville, East Dixfield, Farmington, Industry, Jay and Wilton battled the blaze.
None of the firefighters were injured.
“We tried to save the barn … but it was too far gone and burned to the ground,” Dunham said. “We really never did get it under control because it was out of control when we got there.”
Austin was insured, Dunham said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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