Fire Destroys Springfield Home

No one was seriously hurt when fire destroyed a Springfield home and shed early this morning.

According to the BDN, the homeowners were at home when fire broke out after midnight. Debra Burleigh, who's a teacher at Lee Academy, noticed flames at the shed behind the house. Her husband Stephen, who's a retired military contractor, ran out and tried to douse the flames, burning the skin off one hand. But his efforts were futile, and the fire quickly spread to the house.

The fire department was called at 12:45 a.m. and sent all they had to fight the fire, but the house was fully engulfed and had started to collapse by the time they arrived. Stephen Burleigh said they lost everything, including a truck, tractor, and wood boiler. The couple was concerned about one cat, but said their other pets and livestock were okay. They do have insurance.

The State Fire Marshal's Office will investigate and try to determine what sparked the blaze.