The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CHICOPEE – A fire seriously damaged the interior of a home at 57 Harwich St. and left the three occupants looking for another place to stay temporarily.
Their pet, a white and orange cat called Little Less, was missing Sunday night. Firefighters were not sure if it escaped or succumbed to the smoke.
The fire was reported at about 8:30 p.m. Firefighters were at an alarm call at nearby Meadow Street and were able to respond within four minutes, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph R. Crevier said.
“When we got here there was heavy fire in the bedroom area,” he said.
Firefighters had a difficulty entering and getting around in the house because of a lot of clutter. It took a dozen firefighters about a half-hour to extinguish the blaze, Crevier said.
The three residents were not in the one-story home at the time of the blaze. They arrived to find firefighters at their home. Crevier said he was working with them to get any needed belongings out of the house.
One resident praised the firefighters for preventing the house from burning more.
"Thank God these people are on the ball," said the man who did not give his name.
The structure of the house was not destroyed but side windows were blown out by heat and the siding on the neighboring house was partially melted. Most of the interior and belongings were damaged, Crevier said.
Crevier did not have a damage estimate but said the family would not be able to return until repairs could be made.
The cause is unknown and under investigation, he said.