NEWPORT — A cat died in a house fire on Whitcher Road in Newport on Tuesday evening.
When firefighters got to the scene at 5:56 p.m., they found the split level home at 94 Whitcher Road that was “fully involved” with fire, Newport Fire Chief Steve Yannuzzi said.
The home’s lone occupant escaped uninjured. That person was being assisted by the Red Cross.
“There was a cat that passed away,” Yannuzzi said in a Wednesday morning phone interview.
The cause of the first alarm fire is still under investigation.
“We don’t expect any type of foul play,” Yannuzzi said.
It took firefighters around an hour and a half to get the fire under control and they left the scene around 9 p.m., Yannuzzi said. The kitchen area and a bedroom sustained the most damage.
“The interior was pretty well damaged,” Yannuzzi said. “The building is still standing.”
The Newport Fire Department was assisted by departments in Claremont, Goshen, Croydon, Sunapee, Unity and Lempster.
The house did not appear to have a working smoke detector, Yannuzzi added. Yannuzzi urged homeowners to be cautious this time of year, as heating systems kick on in homes.
“It’s important to make sure all your heating equipment is in working order and that you have working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors in your home,” he said.
