WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA - A bedroom fire caused significant damage to a single-family home just outside downtown West Springfield and claimed the lives of two pets early in the evening of Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

Just after 5:00 P.M., West Springfield firefighters were summoned to 511 Elm Street for reports of a structure fire. Crews arrived on scene within four minutes to find heavy smoke and fire venting from the Charlie side second-floor of an occupied two-story, wood-frame, single-family dwelling. While the human residents of the address had safely evacuated, two dogs were unaccounted for.

West Springfield struck a second-alarm, bringing all available town apparatus to the scene and coverage into town from Springfield and Agawam. Companies stretched two attack lines on the fire and quickly knocked down all visible fire on the second-floor before starting overhaul operations. West Springfield fire crews then spent two hours overhauling the second-floor and checking the attic to ensure that the fire was completely extinguished. Sadly during overhaul, the two missing dogs were found deceased.

Shortly after the fire, a Go Fund Me page was established to aid the family and, as of this article's writing, was up to nearly $22,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the WSFD and State Fire Marshals Office.