NEW SHARON – Family and medics held Christine Bissonnette back as she tried to get to her burning house to get her cat Friday.
Bissonnette’s son, Christopher Bissonnette, 19, put his arms around his mother to hold her as she and her sister, Carol Spoor, hugged and cried.
The cat, Fluffy, died in the fire.
Christine Bissonnette was at the veterinarian with another cat and dog, and her husband, George, was at work at International Paper in Jay when the fire started at the 51 Smith Road home Friday afternoon.
Christopher Bissonnette, one of five children, arrived home midday. When he opened the door to the house, he was hit by a wall of smoke, he said
He called in the fire. The other children were not home at the time.
More than 40 firefighters from Farmington, Chesterville, New Sharon, Industry and Wilton responded to the fire at the gambrel-style house.
Firefighters set up a portable dump tank to hold water as others worked the structure fire.
It seemed to be under control, but flames started shooting from an upstairs window.
Farmington Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Tim Hardy blasted a firetruck’s horn several times to alert firefighters to evacuate the building.
State fire investigator Sgt. Joel Davis was on the scene late afternoon with two other state investigators, with another one on his way, Davis said.
They planned to go over the house to see if they could determine where and how the fire started.
George Bissonnette sat in his red pickup truck on the side of the road in front of his house. His son, Christopher, stood beside the truck, and a friend of his sat next to his dad.
Besides Christopher, the Bissonnette’s children are Leo Bissonnette, 18, twins Michael Reis, 14, and Jonathan Reis, 14, and Jennifer Reis, 11.
The elder Bissonnette said the house was insured, and his insurance agent said there wasn’t much left after going through the home.
“Everybody in town has been exceptional. They’ve been coming by to make sure we’re OK,” George Bissonnette said Friday.
Sandy River Farm Supply has been very helpful, he added.
International Paper has offered the family a house in Jay to stay in, he said.
“I want to thank everybody. They’ve been so generous,” he said. The American Red Cross was on the way, he added.
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