House blaze starts in fireplace

LITCHFIELD – A fireplace malfunction sparked a fire in a Molsom Cirle house Monday night.

A malfunction near the damper cause a fire to spread into the home’s partitions, Assistant Fire Chief Tom Schofield said.

The homeowner placed wood in the fireplace shortly before the fire spread, he said.

An entire wall, from the mantle to the ceiling, in the living room was destroyed, Schofield said. There was also smoke and water damage on the first floor. The fire started at around 8:45 p.m. and was under control in less than an hour.

The house was occupied by two adults and two children when the fire happened. They evacuated and went to a neighbor’s house.