Firefighters battle a blaze that destroyed the house at 100 Pothier Street in Bellingham Friday.  Call photo/Dennis Malboeuf 

By SANDY McGEE

BELLINGHAM — A Pothier Street house was reduced to a charred skeleton Friday in a fire police believe was set. No injuries were reported in the predawn blaze. 

The two-alarm fire at 100 Pothier St., off Westminster Street in the Pulaski Boulevard area, was first reported by neighbors to emergency personnel around 3 a.m. The house’s owners, who are unidentified, were not home at the time.
“The fire was fully involved upon our arrival,” Fire Chief Richard Ranieri said. “Fire was coming out of the first floor windows when we arrived.
“There was so much fire, we couldn’t enter the building at first. We had to use heavy, large lines. The whole front was involved in heavy fire.”
The top floor of the bi-level cape gave way during the blaze, Ranieri said.  Blackened timbers were all that remained of the building Friday afternoon. The fire also melted the vinyl siding on a house next door to 100 Pothier St.
A utility pole in front of the house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. A repair crew was on scene Friday, restoring service to the homes nearby that had lost power.
As daylight came creeping, neighbors were roused by the sound of fire engines and the smell of burning wood.
“My wife woke me up and said that the neighbor’s house was burning,” said Bill Myhill. “I thought I was dreaming. It’s totally surprising.”
According to Police Detective Jennifer Gosselin, the fire is believed to be the work of an arsonist. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the parties responsible.
About 50 firefighters from Bellingham and surrounding communities, including Woonsocket, Franklin and Milford, Mass., responded to the early morning blaze. Firefighters from Milford also manned the Bellingham fire station during the incident.