Firefighters rescued two cats and a dog from a fire in a home connected to a post office at 1976 Main Road that caused significant damage to the house but left the post office unscathed.

 

Fire Chief Daniel Baldwin said the post office closed for the remainder of the day due to the Sept. 16 fire but will likely be ready to reopen on Sept. 17. There was no fire or smoke damage to the post office building.

 

Baldwin said the occupants were not home when the fire was called in around 10:32 a.m. Passersby and neighbors started to see smoke coming from the building, he said.

 

The cats were found alive. Firefighters had to pull the dog out, which was semi-responsive and had difficulty breathing. The dog was resuscitated with a pet oxygen mask by paramedics, Baldwin said.

 

Once the dog was little more alert, they carried it to the homeowner’s vehicle and drove it to a local emergency facility.

 

Baldwin said they sent firefighters a video of the dog walking into the facility, “which was a great sign.”

 

Baldwin said he believed the two-story, Cape-style home has historic significance. According to assessor records, the structure was built in 1828. The house and post office are separated by a wall.

 

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