Family safely escapes burning home

TOWN OF HAMMOND, New York (WWNY) - A family is homeless after fire destroyed their St. Lawrence County home.

Firefighters were called to 1831 County Route 3 in the town of Hammond at around 1 a.m. Thursday.

Hammond Fire Chief Lenny Bickelhaupt says the single-story home was engulfed in flames when volunteers arrived.

According to the chief, homeowner Mark Scarlett, his wife, and their adult daughter had been sleeping when the fire broke out.

He says the wife was awakened by a noise before the home’s smoke alarms went off.

Bickelhaupt says the family and all of their pet dogs and cats safely escaped the burning home.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the chief says it does not look suspicious.

In addition to the Hammond Fire Department, volunteers from Oxbow, Brier Hill, Redwood, and Morristown responded to the scene and were there for about two hours.

Bickelhaupt says he notified the Red Cross about the family’s loss.

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