1794 home catches fire in Scituate. Homeowner escapes safely

SCTIUATE − A woman escaped safely after a fire broke out in her 18th-century home early Monday morning.

The fire at 372 Clapp Road was reported shortly after 2:30 a.m. and had 35 firefighters battling it at its peak, Scituate Fire Chief Mark Donovan said.

The fire began in the basement and spread all the way up to the attic of the two-story home, Donovan said. While the cause has not been officially determined, he said it was more likely than not caused by an electrical issue.

The home has been owned by the same family continuously since it was built, he said.

While the damage to the outside of the home is noticeable, as workers were seen repairing the roof late Monday morning, Donovan said the real effect of the fire is on the inside.

"The actual damage is very deceiving from the outside," Donovan said.

The damage to the home is estimated to be between $250,000 and $300,000, he said.

"There is heavy smoke and water damage throughout the home," he said.

The homeowner was awakened by fire alarms and made it safely outside, he said.

Donovan said firefighters from Scituate, Norwell, Hingham, Hull and Cohasset, along with coverage from Pembroke, aided in fighting the fire.

"When we have a party, we invite everyone," he said of the multitown response.

Fire crews remained at the home for several hours, fighting the main blaze and subsequent hot spots as the morning moved from dark to light.

"There were a lot of challenges we encountered because of the home's age," Donovan said.

He said he doesn't know what will happen to the home, which is valued at nearly $875,000, according to information from the town assessor's office.

"If this was something built 25 or 30 years ago, it'd be easy to say knock it down and rebuild," he said. "But when it's something this old, that's obviously something you don't want to do."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 1794 home catches fire in Scituate