WATERVILLE — A fire on Paris Street heavily damaged a two-story home and killed a cat Friday night.

The cause of the fire, reported around 8 p.m. at 9 Paris St., was not immediately known, Waterville Fire Chief David LaFountain said, but the department is looking at a wood stove and a kerosene heater as possible points of origin.

The home owner, Richard Fryer, was at the hospital Friday for a procedure and was not immediately at the scene.

LaFountain said no one was home at the time of the fire.

The house was still standing around 9 p.m., when the fire appeared mostly under control, but LaFountain said he was not sure whether it would be salvageable.

No injuries to people were reported, although firefighters did recover the body of a cat. LaFountain said he was not sure whether the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal would be investigating.

Several neighbors gathered around the house and stood in the snow as smoke poured out of the windows and the roof.

Raymond Lapoint, who lives nearby at 5 Paris St., said he didn’t know Fryer but came outside when he saw the fire.

“I was sitting at home and saw all the lights outside, so I knew something was going on,” he said. “It’s a sad thing to come home to. I wouldn’t wish something like that on my worst enemy.”

Paris Street was also the scene of another severe fire less than a year ago, in February, which destroyed a five-unit apartment building at 15 Paris St. and left 12 people homeless.

Less than a week ago, a fire caused by an electrical malfunction destroyed a home on nearby Water Street, leaving four people homeless.

The Waterville and Winslow fire departments and the Waterville Police Department responded reports of Friday’s fire.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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