PARIS — Fire crews made quick work of a house fire on Paris Hill Road on Wednesday night, but a woman suffered a panic attack, a firefighter sprained a finger and three cats were missing.

The 8 p.m. blaze at 224 Paris Hill Road was burning at the front of the house when fire crews first arrived.

“When I came up on it, there was heavy fire coming out a front window,” said Deputy Chief Willie Buffington of the Fire Department.

Neighbor Linda Wakefield said when she looked over, it appeared the front porch was ablaze.

A man and woman have been renting the house, Buffington said. The woman, Crystal Coffin, had just gotten home Wednesday night when the fire erupted. She got outside safely but was later being examined for a panic attack. She was also fretting about her three cats.

“She’s worried about them,” Wakefield said. “But they’re outdoor cats. They just don’t like firetrucks.”

Advertisement

Fire crews from Paris and surrounding towns remained at the scene Wednesday night, snuffing out hot spots and preparing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

The two-story home is owned by Mark Cyr of New Hampshire, Buffington said. The house was not totalled, the deputy chief said, but sustained damage from heat, smoke, fire and water.

“It was contained to the front of the house,” Buffington said. “It was a good stop, it really was.”

He said the State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to assist with the investigation.

Comments are no longer available on this story

filed under: