Dog perishes in Saturday fire that gutted Milton home

Firefighters attack second floor hot spots during Saturday's fire at a house on Mason Road in Milton. (Rochester Voice photos)

MILTON - One person was sent to the hospital and a dog they were trying to rescue died in a two-alarm fire that destroyed a Milton residence on Saturday.

Firefighters had to battle not only the house fire but also flames that blackened about an acre of nearby woods.

The blaze at 70 Mason Road was called in around 2:30 p.m. leading to a heavy mutual aid presence that had to negotiate rough portions of remote Teneriffe Mountain Road to get to the scene.

A firefighter pours water on a brush fire that consumed about an acre of land near a Milton residence that was gutted by a fire on Saturday.

Milton Fire Chief Nick Marique said in a release today that the first officer on scene reported a working fire with "extension to the woods."

He noted that forestry crews were also put in play protecting a neighboring home and containing the brush fire that was slowly encroaching upon it.

Marique said the two-story house suffered "severe fire damage."

The bystander who was sent to the hospital for evaluation had tried to rescue the dog prior to firefighters' arrival.

The fire was determined to be contained around 3:45 p.m., and crews cleared the area around 6:45 p.m.

The owner of the house was at the residence as fire crews battled the blaze, but had no comment.

Milton Fire-Rescue was assisted at the scene by Milton Police, Wakefield Fire, Farmington Fire, Rochester Fire, Middleton Fire, Somersworth Fire, New Durham Fire, Strafford Fire, Alton Fire, Wolfeboro Fire, Center Ossipee Fire, Berwick (Maine) Fire, Acton (Maine) Fire and EMS, Frisbie EMS and a NH Forest Ranger. Tuftonboro Fire provided station coverage.