Somerville Firefighters responded to a house fire early this morning, Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 35-37 Teele Avenue. The fire was reported at 1208 a.m. by a neighbor on Whitfield Road behind the burning home.

If it was not for that neighbor, this fire could very well have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. The occupants of the home were unaware of the fire which was burning in the attic above the third floor bedroom ceilings. The fire appears to have been burning for some time unnoticed and resulted in heavy fire damage to the roof and attic. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical originating above the bathroom on the third floor. Firefighters needed to pull down ceilings and cut holes in the roof to extinguish the flames. The building also suffered extensive smoke and water damage. There were no injuries reported. A cat and a rabbit were safely evacuated in addition to nine adults who have all been displaced from the two family dwelling.

Photo courtesy of Somerville FD