PELHAM — A fire Saturday evening destroyed a home and caused a brush fire.
The Pelham Fire Department received a call just before 5:45 p.m. Saturday for a report of an explosion with a fire at 123 Packardville Road, according to Deputy Fire Chief Richard Hall.
When firefighters arrived, Hall said they found a “working fire” with heavy flames on one side of the house. Mutual aid was called and Belchertown and Shutesbury firefighters arrived with tanker trucks while an engine company from Amherst responded. There were around 35 firefighters on scene.
Hall said crews were able to knock the fire down quickly, but winds picked up embers, which caused a substantial-sized brush fire further down the road from the single-story home. Crews left the scene around 8:45 p.m.
There are no injuries reported. No one was home at the time of the fire. Property records list the owner as Holly K. Ault of Templeton. Neighbors called in the fire.
The fire is under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office. It is not considered suspicious at this time, Hall said.
The house is likely a total loss as it sustained significant structural damage to one side and the interior sustained fire and smoke damage, Hall said.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.