A mother and her two young children safely escaped a fire Sunday that destroyed a portion of an Old Cedar Grove Road home thanks to her quick action and a loyal family dog.

Pittston Fire Chief Jason Farris said neither the woman, her children, nor their dog were hurt in the blaze, which was reported around 5 p.m. at 107 Old Cedar Grove Road in Pittston. Farris said one firefighter suffered a hand injury while fighting the blaze. He received aid from medics at the scene but declined a hospital visit, Farris said.

A fire at 107 Old Cedar Grove Road in Pittston destroyed a portion of a family home on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Pittston Fire Department

A mother and her two young children safely escaped a fire Sunday that destroyed a portion of an Old Cedar Grove Road home in Pittston. Photo courtesy of Pittston Fire Department

The 2 1/2 story home, owned by Jim Chattler, is insured, Farris said. The fire destroyed a large addition on the back of the home that housed the kitchen and many of the family’s appliances. All of those appliances were destroyed, Farris said.

Crews were able to keep flames from spreading to the main part of the house. Farris said that section sustained smoke and water damage, but is likely salvageable. He said personal property in that section of the home, such as pictures, were saved.

“All of their possessions in the main house were salvaged,” Farris said.

An investigator from the Office of the State Fire Marshal was at the home Monday afternoon trying to determined what sparked the blaze. Farris said the fire started on an attached, covered, farmer’s porch and appears to have been sparked by a can used for cigarette butts or an extension cord. The fire is not suspicious, Farris said.

“I think it’s accidental, and so does the fire marshal,” he said.

Farris said Chattler’s friend and her two children were home alone around 5 p.m. Sunday when the dog began to bark.

“When she walked out to the kitchen, the whole deck was fully involved,” Farris said. “Shortly thereafter the fire blew out the windows and rolled into the kitchen where they were.”

The woman quickly corralled her children and the dog out of the house and ran to a neighbor’s house to call for help.

“The dog and her saved those kids’ lives for sure,” Farris said.

Firefighters arrived within six minutes and began the work of dousing the fire in the addition and keeping it from spreading to the main part of the house. Farris said crews stopped the fire’s advance within a few minutes and had the fire under control within 90 minutes.

Crews from Chelsea, Farmingdale, Gardiner, Randolph, West Gardiner, Whitefield and Wiscasset were called to help Pittston crews quickly get the blaze under control and save the main part of the home.

“We were able to keep the fire in the addition,” Farris said. “They worked hard, and I was real happy about that.”

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @CraigCrosby4

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