A dog perished in the afternoon fire.
TEMPLE – A fire destroyed Ben and Michelle Sullivan’s century-old house Wednesday and leveled the attached barn. The blaze also claimed the life of the family’s dog, Maggie.
The Sullivans were at work in Farmington when the fire started. Their children Shane, 9, and Garrett, 3, were also not at home.
About 40 firefighters from at least six towns responded to the fully engulfed structure on Intervale Road.
Elliott Barden, a neighbor, reported the fire about 2 p.m. Barden said he saw an air conditioner fall out of a window of the house. He saw that the house was on fire and tried to get the dog out but couldn’t, Barden said.
A state trooper kept bystanders from going near the house until the flames were under control. Trooper Derrick Record said there was a propane tank that firefighters were trying to keep from exploding.
Bystanders stood on Barden’s lawn and watched the firefighters work. Large pieces of ashes landed on the lawn nearby. The heat from the fire added to the 85-degree temperature of the day.
Star Barden, Elliott’s mother, brought out water and ice for firefighters.
Riders on all-terrain vehicles came out of the woods to see what was going on.
Rick Blodgett watched as the home he grew up in was gutted.
“I lived here for 15 years,” said Blodgett, son of Temple Selectman George Blodgett.
Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Terry Bell poured water on his head to cool down. Other firefighters taking a break had cold cloths draped over their heads. Stan Wheeler, Farmington’s Fire Rescue chaplain, said he planned to call the American Red Cross to help the family out.
Ben, a respiratory therapist at Franklin Memorial Hospital, and his mother, Lorie Sullivan, a nurse there, came from the hospital to the scene. Michelle arrived soon after from her job at a pediatrician’s office.
Lorie said the couple had lived in the house nearly two years. “It’s a total loss,” she said. “He had just got done doing a bunch of work on the place. It really looked beautiful.”
She said the house was more than 100 years old and used to be a parsonage for a church. It was located about three lots past the Temple ball field.
Sullivan said her grandson Garrett took size 4T shirts and pants and Shane took size 10 to 12 shirts and pants.
The family would be staying with her on Day Mountain Road Wednesday night, she said.
Temple Assistant Fire Chief Ron Smith said firefighters would be on the scene until late Wednesday. They were still working to put out the flames in the eves of the house late Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were hosing down the smoldering remains of the barn. The remains and a mound of tin roofing were all that was left of the barn structure.
Fire crews from Temple, Farmington, Chesterville, Industry, Strong and Wilton responded to help fight the blaze.
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