DIXFIELD – The cause of a late-night structure fire Saturday will likely never be determined.

Fire Chief Scott Dennett said early Monday afternoon that the damage was so extensive that his official report will list undetermined. Dan Young of the Office of the State Fire Marshal was wrapping up an investigation Monday afternoon.

The roughly three-year-old, one-and-a-half story chalet-style home was nearly leveled following the 10:30 p.m. cell phone call.

Owner Lisa Bourgeois, friend Brian Henry of Carthage, and her twin 9-year-old daughters were attending Fourth of July events when the blaze broke out. A dog, mother cat and two kittens escaped the burning building. Lost in the fire were several fish in an aquarium and an iguana. Bourgeois and her family are staying at Henry’s home in Carthage.

Dennett said the home was valued at about $225,000. It was insured.

About 30 firefighters from six departments responded to the call. The blaze was knocked down within an hour, then crews returned twice early Sunday morning to extinguish hot spots.

Hampering the response to the blaze was a delay in the notification that a fire was burning on Route 142, Dennett said. He said it took nearly 20 minutes before the Dixfield Fire Co. was toned out. He said the Somerset County dispatch center notified the Franklin County dispatch center in Farmington before the call was routed to the Oxford County Regional Communications Center in Paris.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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