Cat Rescued in Devastating Home Fire on Atkinson Road

A one and a half story, wood frame home at 20a Atkinson Road was badly damaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon, according to Salem Assistant Fire Chief Paul Parisi.

Salem Fire Engine 2 responded to the scene at 2:38 p.m., where firefighters saw the 20 feet by 30 feet residence with heavy smoke showing from it.

"Engine 2 made an aggressive interior attack backed up by members of Station 1 and ultimately were able to push the fire back into a back bedroom," said Parisi.

The interior fire damage was "significant," he said. Heavy water and smoke damage was also present throughout the house.

The fire took about an hour to get under control.

Parisi said that nobody was home at the time of the fire, but there was a cat inside the house that was rescued by firefighters.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but Salem Fire Marshal Jeff Emanuelson was on the scene investigating the blaze.

At 4 p.m., the home's exterior appeared to be relatively intact while the interior looked to have suffered the majority of the damage.

Marie Dehne, 58, a lifelong Salem resident, was on the property with other family members, including her daughter and sister. She was at work when a neighbor across the street first called in the fire.

Dehne said that her parents, Tony and Mary Coco, live in the larger 20 Atkinson Road house also located on the property. They are currently on a trip to Pennsylvania and were on a bus at the time they were contacted about the fire.

Dehne said that the whole family, which includes her three sisters, lives around the area.

"We have a very close family," she said.

Dehne said the larger home is about 70 years old, and was built before the adjacent cottage.

Parisi said that one heavy rescue ambulance, a Derry engine and a Derry ambulance responded to the scene. Other companies from other towns helped cover the station.