An investigation is underway into the cause of a fire that tore through a home and barn in Middleboro Tuesday afternoon.

 

Middleboro Fire Chief Owen Thompson said firefighters were called to Vernon Street for reports of a barn fire.

The flames that were shooting through the roof of the barn quickly spread to the nearby home, according to Thompson.

 

The four residents who lived there managed to escape, though Thompson said one of them suffered second-degree burns in the process. The man was brought to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK.

 

Thompson said the flames also scorched the yard and some nearby brush before making its way over to a grassy patch across the street.

 

It appears that the fire started outside the barn and quickly spread from there, though the exact cause remains unknown at this time.

 

See more at wpri.com.