By CHRIS COLLINS and JULIE CUNNINGHAM
(Greenfield, MA) — Two cats perished and two firefighters suffered minor injuries in an early Wednesday morning fire on Greenfield’s Leyden Road.
Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan says firefighters from multiple towns responded to the 6 am blaze at 603 Leyden Road. Strahan said the fire appears to have started in the basement and spread to the first floor, causing extensive smoke and fire damage which has rendered the building temporarily uninhabitable. The five residents of the home have since secured temporary housing.
Strahan said the two cats died of smoke inhalation and the two injured firefighters, both from the Greenfield department, were treated at the scene and did not have to be hospitalized. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the state Fire Marshal’s office, but Strahan said, at this point, it looks accidental.