Staff reports 4 p.m.
Saturday, February 10, 2018 4:00 pm

A space heater that was destroyed during a fire in the basement of a home in Rochester today. (Rochester Fire Department photo)

ROCHESTER - Combustible material left too close to a space heater could be the culprit in a basement fire today at a home on Lowell Street.

Rochester Fire got a call from a resident who reported there was a fire inside her house at 59 Lowell St around 9:25 a.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw smoke and flames in the basement and worked quickly to extinguish the fire.

The female resident was able to escape safely from the house with her dog. No injuries were reported.

The fire was contained to the basement, where a space heater and other nearby items were on the floor. The rest of the house sustained a significant amount of smoke damage.

The two residents of the house will be temporarily displaced.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Rochester Fire Chief Mark Klose took the opportunity to remind residents not to leave anything that is potentially combustible near space heaters that are in use.

Firefighters from Dover, Durham and Barrington were called to the scene to provide assistance, while the Somersworth and Milton fire departments provided station coverage for Rochester. A Frisbie Memorial Hospital ambulance was also on medical standby.

The Rochester Police Department also assisted at the scene by directing traffic and closing the road for about a half hour.