MILLVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - Three people have been displaced after a home in Millville went up in flames Thursday.
About 70 firefighters from 14 neighboring towns arrived at the scene on Thayer Street to found heavy flames and smoke pouring out of the roof.
As smoke continued to fill the air, the weight from the solar panels caused the roof to collapse.
Two propane tanks then began leaking gas into the air adding to an already difficult firefight.
“I left my job in where I was working and saw the smoke as I was getting here and once I got here the house was totally engulfed,” said Bille LeClaire, the son of the homeowner.
LeClaire said his disabled brother lives in the home and was out at a doctor’s appointment when the massive fire broke out.
“My dad and mom actually built the house in 1969 my great grandfather helped them built it,” LeClaire said. “Everyone has grown up here so it is a difficult loss.”
Water supply issues plagued the effort and tankers were brought in to assist.
“The time of day really hurts us because it’s in the middle of the afternoon,” Lt. Steven Furno explained. “Being in a small town we don’t have a lot of help during the day so we have to rely on other towns and they all have the same issues because most of their on-call firefighters are at work.”
The home is a total loss but LeClair said he feels grateful things were not worse.
“Everyone is safe there is no loss you can always rebuild the house you cannot rebuild lives,” he said.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury to their foot. They are expected to be OK.
Motorists were urged to avoid the area until the flames were extinguished.
The Red Cross will be assisting those displaced.
The cause remains under investigation.
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