Bondsville, MA — November 3 — The Bondsville Fire Department has concluded that cooking was the cause of an unintentional fire that occurred on South Main Street on Monday afternoon. At 4:04 p.m., firefighters from Bondsville, Three Rivers, and Palmer companies responded to a reported kitchen fire. Street restrictions between First Street and State Street were aided by Palmer Police and Hampden County Sheriff's officers.

The situation was escalated to a home fire while units were on their way. When they arrived, smoke was apparent. Before firefighters arrived, an off-duty Ware firefighter pulled over and used a garden hose to assist in suppressing the fire from the outside. When firemen arrived, every resident was outside, and the fire was extinguished in around twelve minutes.

Interim Chief Michael Germaine said the fire was contained to the kitchen, originating near the stove before extending into cabinets and the ceiling. Damage is estimated at $40,000, and the home was deemed temporarily uninhabitable by the Palmer Board of Health and Building Inspector. The residents were able to stay with family members, so Red Cross assistance was not needed. A missing cat was located safely before units cleared at 5:59 p.m.

There were no reported injuries to occupants or firefighters.