MADRID TOWNSHIP — A fire claimed the lives of three dogs and three cats Sunday night and destroyed a two-story farmhouse and attached barn at 1001 Reeds Mill Road.
Frank and Jennifer Horton came home just before 7 p.m. and discovered the left side of their home and attached two-story barn were on fire, Phillips Fire Chief Sean Allen said Monday.
The couple opened the front-door to the home and tried to break out windows to get their pets out, he said.
When firefighters arrived, the whole place was engulfed in flames, Allen said. Firefighters were able to protect a chicken coop with chickens and geese, and an outbuilding with goats inside, he said.
About 45 firefighters from Phillips, Rangeley, Strong, Temple, Weld, Kingfield, Farmington and New Vineyard responded to the scene. Temple Fire Department set up a hydrant about 12 miles from the scene at Blake Hill Road and Park Street in Phillips to fill firetrucks.
They kept the hydrant open so it didn’t freeze, Allen said. About 60,000 gallons of water were used to douse the flames.
The hardest part was the firetrucks kept freezing, Allen said. Four different trucks froze up and were out of service in the -4-degree temperature.
Phillips firefighters returned to the fire station and used torches to thaw connections on the truck, then refilled and returned to the scene. A report of a rekindle came in just after midnight, and firefighters were back on the scene about 5:30 a.m. Monday to put out smoldering debris.
No injuries were reported but one firefighter suffered mild frostbite on one hand.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputies and MaineHealth EMS ambulance personnel also responded.
The Madrid Township road commissioner sanded roads near the scene and Phillips Public Works Department sanded the fill site and the shuttle route for firefighters.
White’s Logging of Phillips used the grapple on a logging truck to move burning debris away from the house so firefighters could extinguish flames.
The house was built either in the late 1800s or early 1900s, Allen said.
The couple had been doing a lot of renovations at the house. It was beautiful, he said.
The Hortons’ house was insured. They are staying with a friend and have another house in Dixfield.
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