Fire destroys garage, heavily damages house in Jay

May 23—JAY — A fire destroyed a garage and heavily damaged an attached house early Monday at 1530 Franklin Road, also known as state Route 133.

About 45 firefighters from seven towns responded to the report of a fire at Jeff and Kathy Offord's house just after midnight.

When firefighters arrived, the garage was fully involved in flames, and the fire had spread to the single-story ranch, fire rescue Chief Mike Booker said.

The fire displaced the couple and a 20-year-old daughter and two grandchildren. The family, who was in the house at the time the blaze broke out, escaped without injury. There was an adult male in a camper on the property, which was not involved in the fire.

Two cars were damaged from the heat, he said.

The family had a lot of animals with many escaping but six cats are unaccounted for, Booker said.

There were no injuries.

An investigator with the Office of State Fire Marshal was at the scene Monday but the cause is still under investigation, Booker said Monday afternoon.

Firefighters from Jay, Livermore Falls, Livermore, Wilton, Farmington, Chesterville and East Dixfield responded, with New Sharon firefighters standing by at the Farmington Fire Rescue Station. NorthStar EMS ambulance also responded to the scene.

Jay and Wilton police rerouted traffic around the scene.

The house is insured, Booker said. The American Red Cross was expected to meet with the family Monday. The family stayed in one of their campers on the property, Booker said.