Gloucester fire leaves one family homeless

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — A fire in Gloucester left one family with their home gutted and some pets missing.

The fire ripped through the two-story house on Essex Avenue early Thursday morning, and the Gloucester Fire Department got the call just after midnight.

Crews at the scene say they were able to quickly get water on the flames, but the single-family home was badly damaged as the fire was so heavy that they were forced to tackle it from outside the building.

The two residents renting the home made it out safely, but didn't come out with all of their pets.

"All the residents self evacuated," Gloucester Fire Chief Eric Smith said. "They were able to bring one pet with them. Unfortunately, they lost a few pets but got out unharmed.

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Smith said it appears the fire started in the back of the home, and said the home is a total loss.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, and investigators are working to pinpoint how it started.

Cox Media Group