The fire started in the kitchen on the first floor where it went into the walls and traveled upwards, eventually destroying the house's roof.
SPRINGFIELD - An elderly homeowner was hospitalized with heart complications Thursday night following a fire at her Norfolk Street home.
Around 11:30 p.m., firefighters were called to 124 Norfolk St. in the city's Upper Hill neighborhood for a reported structure fire. According to Dennis Leger, public information officer for the Springfield Fire Department, when crews arrived the woman's grandson was trying to extinguish the blaze with a garden hose.
Leger said the fire started in the kitchen on the first floor where it went into the walls. From there, it made its way to the second floor and the attic.
Firefighters efforts were hampered as they tried to gain access to the area where the fire had spread to due to the large number of items being stored there, Leger said. Because of this, firefighters had to attack the blaze defensively from outside.
"The fire caused upwards of $80,000 damage as it traveled through the house and destroyed the roof," Leger said. "The cause is under investigation at this time."
The house, which was built in 1901, is owned by 71-year-old Margaret Jones, who was taken to the hospital following the ordeal. According to the city assessor's online database, Jones has owned the home since 1979.
Following Jones' release from the hospital, she will be assisted by the Pioneer Valley chapter of the American Red Cross, who is currently caring for her grandson.
This map shows the location of the home that was seriously damaged by a fire on Thursday.