Fire claims four dogs, leaves family of four homeless
alt altalt By The LCN Staff MOUNT MORRIS - A mother and her three young children were left without a home following a Wednesday evening fire on Chapel Street that also killed four dogs. The Mount Morris Fire Department responded to a call around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for an active fire at 64 Chapel St. Upon arriving, firefighters discovered flames emanating from a manufactured home. After fighting the fire for about 30 minutes, the blaze was brought under control, said Livingston County fire investigator Kevin Niedermaier, who was on scene. “Mount Morris Fire Department did a great job,” Niedermaier said Thursday morning. “It was a quick save, a nice knockdown on the structure.” The residence, which is owned by Mount Morris resident Thomas Fitzsimmons, was being rented at the time by Tosha Norton, who lived there with her three children aged 2, 5 and 10. Norton and her children were at a local restaurant eating dinner when they were alerted by a neighbor that their house on fire. The cause of the fire was determined to be a coffee maker in the home's kitchen. The family’s four dogs perished in the fire. The shell of the structure is still intact, said Neidermaier, but most of its interior is damaged as a result of the fire and firefighters' efforts to contain it. “The kitchen was completely destroyed, the dining room, living room area; there's smoke and water damage throughout the house,” said Niedermaier. “Unfortunately, with the damage on the inside, the structure is not habitable.” Norton and her children are currently being assisted by the Red Cross. Though Niedermaier declined to offer a damage estimate; “It's hard to say it's 'x' amount of dollars,” the cost figures to be substantial. The property was assessed at $36,200 in 2014. In addition to the Mount Morris Fire Department, the Mount Morris Police Department and Ambulance were also on scene. Leicester Fire Department covered Mount Morris during the duration of the fire.
 
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