Firefighters from several communities battle a fire at 400 Middle Road in Skowhegan Thursday. High wind spread the smoke through the neighborhood.  Jake Freudberg/Morning Sentinel

SKOWHEGAN — A fire heavily damaged a Middle Road home Thursday, killing two dogs and a cat.

The fire at 400 Middle Road was reported around 3:30 p.m., according to the Somerset County dispatch log. No one was home, and the fire was reported by a passerby, Chief Ronnie Rodriguez of the Skowhegan Fire Department said.

Aside from the pets, no injuries were reported. Rodriguez said the cause of the blaze was still under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office Friday.

The home is now uninhabitable due to damage, Rodriguez said.

Dozens of firefighters were on scene throughout the late afternoon and evening, as high wind whipped smoke into the air. Flames were visible at times along the edge of the house’s roof.

“The efforts were hindered by the wind,” Rodriguez said, drawing a parallel to recent widespread wildfires in southern California that have displaced thousands.

Firefighters found the house fully engulfed in flames upon arrival to a fire at 400 Middle Road in Skowhegan Thursday afternoon. The home suffered extensive damage. Photo courtesy of the Skowhegan Fire Department

The flames appeared under control by about 5 p.m., with firefighters still working. The structure, a two-story house with a metal roof, was charred extensively on the outside.

Rodriguez said firefighters worked for about an hour and a half to extinguish the fire, though they remained working on scene until about 9:20 p.m.

The Cape Cod-style architecture combined with the wind posed another challenge, Rodriguez said. The empty space on the second floor, between the knee walls and where the angled roof meets the exterior wall, made the fire hard to control as wind blew, the chief said.

Firefighters continue to battle a fire at 400 Middle Road in Skowhegan around 5 p.m. Thursday. The fire was reported at about 3:30 p.m. Jake Freudberg/Morning Sentinel

The home is across from the intersection of Porter Road and Middle Road, which is state Route 104, about 3 miles south of downtown.

Skowhegan property records show the house belongs to Gary Clark.

The road was closed to traffic between Brittany Drive and Palmer Road.

Firefighters from Canaan, Cornville, Fairfield-Benton, Madison, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Waterville responded. Redington-Fairview General Hospital EMS and Skowhegan police were also assisting at the scene. A Skowhegan Highway Department truck spread sand on the icy pavement.

Al’s Pizza provided food for first responders, Rodriguez said. Central Maine Power Co. assisted by cutting power to the area.