SOLON — A family of four is homeless following a fire Thursday afternoon that destroyed their home at 673 Parkman Hill Road.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but appears to have been accidental, said Dan Bosworth, deputy chief of the Madison Fire Department. There were no injuries reported, he said.

Solon Fire Chief Duane Rollins confirmed later Thursday evening that the fire marshals ruled the cause of the fire as accidental.

“It was a chimney fire that extended into the house,” Rollins said.

He said fire marshals Isaiah Peppard and Ken MacMaster determined the fire radiated into the house in the second floor and spread from there.

Julia Ross, 27, said she lived in the house with her two young sons and boyfriend. She was home at the time of the fire, which started around noon, and had just made one of her sons a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He went upstairs to wash his hands and said, “Mom, there’s a fire,” she said.

“I grabbed the kids and called the Fire Department and my boyfriend,” she said.

The family does not have insurance and will be staying with relatives, she said.

They also have a cat that Ross said escaped the house but was missing Thursday afternoon.

“There was heavy fire blowing off the roof when we arrived,” Bosworth said. By about 1:45 p.m. the fire was under control, but the damage was extensive and Bosworth said he did not think the house would be livable. The fire appears to have started on the second floor, but the cause is unknown.

Firefighters from Anson, Athens, Madison, Skowhegan and Solon were at the scene. Firefighters from Norridgewock also assisted in covering the East Madison fire station.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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