BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNNFIELD — Authorities said an early Saturday morning house fire was set.
The two-alarm fire broke out at about 3 a.m. at 844 Main St., a Cape Cod style home, according to Lynnfield Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Davis.
He said when fire trucks arrived, flames engulfed the first and second floors. The initial call reported that people were trapped in the home. But the four occupants escaped the house safely prior to the arrival of first responders. Davis said the family may be staying with other relatives in town.
Their names have not been released and there were no injuries.
Real estate records say the six-room home is owned by William and Dawn Gaffney.
Davis estimated about $300,000 in damage and he was unsure if the house could be repaired.
About 19 firefighters and with four pieces of equipment responded from Lynnfield and upon the second alarm, they were joined by fire departments from North Reading, Reading, Middleton, Wakefield, Peabody and Lynn.
“It was a very hot fire,” Davis said. “It had a good possession of the home prior to our arrival. It was a tough battle, but we were able to get the fire extinguished within a few hours.”
Prior to the blaze, a woman was arrested and charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of property, according to Carrie Kimball Monahan, spokeswoman for the Essex County District Attorney’s office.
Monahan said the woman lived in the home that caught fire. No arrests have been made in connection with the fire, she added.
“The fire started after she was taken into custody and it continues to be under investigation,” she said.
Davis said Lynnfield Fire responded to the same house earlier that evening for a medical emergency and took someone to the hospital.
Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal’s office, said the fire is under investigation.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.