JAY – An early-morning fire at a historic farmhouse on Franklin Road drew about 40 firefighters from six departments Saturday.

Nobody was injured in the blaze that gutted the interior of the Robert Blais home at 346 Franklin Road, also known as Route 133, according to Jay Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Shink.

Shortly before the 12:19 a.m. alarm, Blais and his wife were awakened by the smell of smoke, Shink said. They quickly left the house, taking their three dogs with them.

“On arrival, there was smoke showing under the eaves and fire from the back side of a chimney on the back side of the ell,” Shink said.

Firefighting crews from Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls, Wilton, Farmington and East Dixfield used an aggressive interior attack to contain the fire to the area around the ceiling in the main building.

“There was some extension into the floor and up into the roof of the attic,” Shink said.

They had the fire under control within 45 minutes to an hour. Shink said the fire originated in a stovepipe that went out to a chimney.

“There was nothing suspicious about it. We had been to that location for a chimney fire about a month ago, and this fire originated in a chimney,” Shink said.

He estimated damage to the insured building at upwards of $60,000.

“There was pretty heavy fire damage at the area of origin and on the second floor,” Shink said.

The Blaises, who were pretty shaken up, were staying at another of their properties, he said.

A crew stayed on scene until 5 a.m. to ensure there were no flare-ups.

Shink said the one-and-a-half-story white farmhouse was built in the early 1800s and has a history as an Underground Railroad station.

The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safehouses that were used to help American slaves escape to freedom.