No animals were injured when a duck house on Perry Road in Rindge caught fire on Tuesday evening.
Just before 6 p.m., fire crews were alerted to a structure fire at 50 Perry Road, according to Fire Chief Rick Donovan. The source of the fire appears to have been a heat lamp that had fallen over and lit some of the bedding for a small 4-foot-by-4-foot shelter for ducks.
“The ducks were not in the house at the time, which was fortunate,” Donovan said.
The homeowner noticed the fire out of the window of the home, and after alerting the fire department, attempted to put out the fire himself using snow, bringing it under control considerably by the time the fire department arrived. The fire had threatened an adjacent tool shed, but only caused minor damage. The duck house itself is still standing, Donovan said, but the fire destroyed one of the walls, and the structure is likely a total loss.
“It’s pretty cooked,” Donovan said.
The fire was reduced enough when crews arrived that they were able to cancel a call for a first alarm and notify en route mutual aid that they could return to their own stations. The Rindge Fire Department remained on scene for about half an hour to douse the remaining fire and ensure there were no remaining embers before clearing the scene.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.