Firefighters from four counties battled freezing temperatures Saturday morning during a fire at a home that also housed Unity Flower Shop.
Unity firefighter John Levers said the fire at 257 Depot St. was reported by the homeowners at 6:51 a.m. Levers, who lives just a few houses away, said the fire had already spread from a wall behind a stove to the attic by the time he arrived.
The homeowners escaped safely but the building was a total loss, he said.
One of the biggest struggles was the single-digit temperatures, which made it difficult to get water to douse the fire. Dry hydrants and frozen pumps complicated the response, requiring a large number of firefighters to help secure adequate water.
The fire shut down Depot Street for several hours during the morning.
An estimated 16 departments responded to the blaze.
