An explosive fire that destroyed a 230-year-old house in Stafford on Sunday night started by accident when cooking oil left unattended spilled over onto the stove, town officials said.
The fire on Westford Avenue was fueled by exploding oxygen tanks and ammunition and firefighters were still at the scene on Monday morning to douse the smoldering remains.
Two stepbrothers were at the home at the time, but their parents were away on a trip, officials said. The fire started when one of the stepbrothers left the cooking oil on the stove unattended.
The stepbrothers got the family's dogs out of the home, but it wasn't immediately clear if all their cats survived, firefighters said.
No people were injured.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
