Exeter and North Kingstown firefighters got a house fire under control within about 10 minutes after being called Monday morning to Schartner Farms, Exeter 1 Fire Chief David Chamberlain said.
A malfunctioning furnace in the basement caused heavy smoke damage to one of several family homes on the homestead, this one owned by Richard Schartner, Chamberlain said. No one was home at the time, and no one was injured, Chamberlain said.
The home is uninhabitable now and will require heavy cleaning and a new furnace, he said.
The volunteer department, one of two in Exeter, called the state fire marshal’s office after being called to the fire around 7:20 a.m. Both investigated Monday and determined that the fire was accidental, Chamberlain said.