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Wind-Fueled Fire Hits Four Beachfront Homes In Scituate

SCITUATE (CBS) - Four beachfront homes went up in flames in Scituate Thursday afternoon.

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The fire started around 2 p.m. of the home at 111 Humarock Beach Front. The blaze began as a small kitchen fire sparked by a radio.

Diane Tarmey, who lived at the home with her husband, son and dog, said her husband tried to put out the fire to no avail.

"My husband said the smoke detector went off, and he came down the stairs and the kitchen was ablaze, and thankfully he got my son out of the house," said Tarmey, who lived at the home year-round.

Firefighters said that when they arrived on the scene within seven minutes, three of the homes were already engulfed in flames.

WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports

One of the homes belongs to a non-profit organization known as Alice's House. President Janet Gibson says it's a place for retreat and spiritual healing, where people who've experienced loss find comfort.

Now they'll have to deal with the very difficult loss of the property. "For everyone that stays here they leave a little bit of themselves and take something away. It's very emotional for a lot of people," said Gibson.

The home is often rented during the summer months as a way to raise money. Fire ravaged the structure leaving little more than bricks.

Crews had a difficult time with the fire because of 50 mile-per-hour winds in the area. WBZ meteorologist Barry Burbank says a Wind Advisory remains in effect through this evening.

"The wind is a horrible contributor to an event like this. As you can feel and see it, it blows everything over to the next house," said Tarmey.

The homes were situated very close next to one another, which initially made it difficult for firefighters to reach the scene.

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"Fortunately there was an opening after the fourth house," said Chief Rick Judge of the Scituate Fire Department. "That's where we made the stand."

Tarmey said the same home burned to the ground in 1978 and was rebuilt on the same plot.

Scituate Fires
(Photo Credit: Kerrie Vaughn)

The other three houses that were destroyed were unoccupied at the time. They were being used as summer homes.

There are no reports of any serious injuries, though three firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The total estimated value of the homes affected by the fires tops out at more than $3 million.

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