HARTLAND — A fire that started on a kitchen counter Wednesday morning heavily damaged part of a double-wide mobile home on Martinsville Road, according to investigators.
After the homeowner, Karen Walker, left for work around 6:20 a.m., a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the roof of the home around 8 a.m. and entered the home.
She found smoke throughout the home and a fire in the kitchen, closed the door and called authorities, according to a news release from the Vermont Division of Fire Safety.
Hartland firefighters were able to contain the fire to the kitchen, which was heavily damaged, and the rest of the home had smoke, heat and water damage, the release said.
Investigators determined the fire started “on the kitchen counter in the area of a toaster and coffee maker,” but the cause is undetermined. The fire is not considered suspicious, the release said.
Fire officials credited the neighbor for closing the door to the home when she left, which they said prevented air from getting to the fire and slowed its spread.
A fund to help the family get back on their feet has been set up at Mascoma Bank. Donations can be made to the Walker-Sprague Family Recovery Fund at any Mascoma branch.