Firefighters battled the 2-alarm fire on Scotland Road (Route 14) beginning shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Fire was seen shooting from the roof, and one person was reported trapped in the building.
FOX61's Dave Puglisi was first on the scene and reports that officials now say one of the residents, Regina Aszklar,78, died in the home. Her husband survived; he was treated on scene by first responders.
Mutual aid was called called in from Chaplin and other towns. Route 14/Scotland Road remains closed between Oakwood Drive and the Scotland town line because of the fire. As of 10:30 a.m., firefighters are still dousing hot-spots.
Neighbors tell Dave that the couple were well-known in the area and had rescued numerous animals from shelters; at least one of those animals is being treated for injuries from the fire, and neighbors have been coming by to care for others.
According to officials, the cause of the fire was determined to be from two heat lamps placed on top of a tub to keep some newly hatched chicks warm. The lamps started a fire with a black plastic tub and then the bathroom went up in flames.
The Windham Fire Department investigating the fire in conjunction with the CSP Fire and Explosives division.