FARMINGTON – A Main Street home sustained extensive damage Tuesday from a fire that officials say began in the kitchen.

Fire Chief Terry Bell said the kitchen ceiling at 101 Main St. caught fire between the first and second floors.

Firefighters were called at 11:12 a.m. for what they originally thought was a chimney fire at the home of Harvey and Lorna Aft. Once they arrived, they found the ceiling was on fire. The cause remains under investigation, Bell said.

The home is uninhabitable, and the couple will stay in a motel until the kitchen can be remodeled, Bell said. There is a wood stove in the kitchen.

Subzero temperatures combined with high winds created a problem for firefighters as they fought the flames, he said.

Farmington police detoured traffic on Route 4, just north of downtown, to Anson Street and Belcher Road. The home is on a curve next to a Verizon building and near Aardvark Outfitters.

Wilton and Jay fire departments were also called to the scene with East Dixfield Fire Department standing by at Wilton. NorthStar Ambulance also responded to the call.

Firefighters returned to the station at 12:50 p.m., Bell said.