FAIRFIELD — Two men and a dog escaped harm when a smoke alarm alerted them to a fire in a Middle Road home Sunday night.

Firefighters were called to the two-story white farmhouse for a report of a fire at about 9 p.m. Sunday. Joshua Miela and his cousin Dan Miela were downstairs in the house when they heard a smoke alarm go off and looked up the stairs to see heavy smoke on the second floor, according to Fairfield Fire Chief Duane Bickford.

“They grabbed the dog and got out and called 911,” Bickford said Monday.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze near where it started in the attic at the rear part of the house, but there was significant smoke and water damage, Bickford said. The owner of the building, Trisha Miela, is Joshua Miela’s mother and she lives in Connecticut, according to Bickford.

Sgt. Ken Grimes, from the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal, said Monday afternoon that the fire was an accident and started because of an overloaded electrical circuit.

About 20 firefighters from Fairfield, Skowhegan, Oakland and Norridgewock responded to the fire, and crews were able to extinguish it within 30 minutes. Fire crews remained at the property for several hours to make sure it did not reignite, Bickford said.

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Owners Trisha Miela and Walt Okoney were at the property with Joshua and Dan Miela boarding up the house windows Monday afternoon. The house is insured and the family hopes to repair it, according to Trish Miela.

Peter McGuire — 861-9239

pmcguire@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @PeteL_McGuire


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