A fire ripped through a Newton home that was just a few days away from being sold, officials said.
The fire started around 10 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Derby Street in Newton, near Franklin Elementary School. Jason Donahe, a resident in the home, said the fire started when his mother tried to light a cigarette while sitting on a couch.
"A match went under the couch and it just lit up," Donahe said. "Then she tried putting a blanket over it and smacking it, and it just made it worse."
Firefighters said they got to the home within three minutes, but the fire had already spread to the attic where it was hard to reach.