WILTON — A problem with a stovepipe caused a fire Thursday night that destroyed the home of Rick Karkos and family at 44 Birch St.

On Friday morning, an investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office determined the cause as a malfunction in the pipe from the wood stove, Assistant Chief Kyle Ellis from the Wilton Fire Department said.

The fire gutted the home and the family lost all its belongings. There was no insurance on the property, he said Friday night. He was unable to place a dollar estimate on the damage.

Karkos came home at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday to find the home filled with smoke. The family was able to leave the house without injury but a cat was lost in the fire, Ellis said.

The Red Cross was called to assist the family. Ellis was not sure of the number of family members.

Fire departments from Farmington, Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls and East Dixfield helped battle the blaze on the narrow, hilly street. Fire trucks were lined up single file up the hill and water was taken from a hydrant at the bottom and pumped from truck to truck to the scene.

Firefighters were at the scene until 1 p.m., he said.

NorthStar Ambulance and Wilton Police Department officers also helped at the scene, he said.

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