Fire Destroys Saugus Home While Family is Away

Authorities are investigating how a fire destroyed a home Tuesday afternoon in Saugus, Massachusetts.

Crews responded to the fire at 81 Juniper Dr. just after 12:30 p.m. where flames were shooting from the roof.

"I was here within 2-3 minutes because I was around the corner. The entire attic was fully involved," said Saugus Fire Chief Michael Newbury.

Fire officials said the blaze quickly reached 3-alarms and destroyed the home within minutes.

Relatives said the owners, two pastors, were away in Brazil on a church mission with their son when the fire broke out. No one had been inside the home for about a week.

For Ouriel DeJesus, watching his sister's house go up in flames was difficult to watch.

"The most important thing my mom just said is that no one was inside and everyone is OK," DeJesus said.

While nearly everything was destroyed, firefighters were able to pull the couple's wedding album from the home before it burned.

"Losing a house is a traumatic event," said Newbury.

Authorities said the fire appears to have started in the back of the house where a propane grill was located. It's unclear, however, if the propane grill is the exact cause.

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