By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

A woman and her baby fled their burning house set back off High Street in Cumberland at about mid-day on Thursday, and firefighters revived a German shepherd dog found in the home at the outset of what turned out to be a three-alarm blaze.

Damage was extensive to the 2 1/2 story, wood-frame house behind 237 High Street in what Cumberland Fire Chief Kenneth Finlay called a “miserable” fire to fight.

“We had heavy fire in the basement that had gotten into the stairway in the center of the house, and once it got to the stairway it acted as a chimney and traveled all the way to the roof,” Finlay said.

“The proximity of the house posed a significant challenge to us because it’s back behind another house.” He said firefighters could not access the rear of the house, because it was adjacent to the extensive grounds of the Our Lady of Fatima Church on nearby Fatima Drive.

Chief Finlay said police helped the woman and child while the animal control officer took care of the dog.

Crews from several neighboring communities assisted Cumberland firefighters, who spent hours on the scene, as flames and thick plumes of smoke repeatedly shot out of the roof.

The Red Cross arrived to assist the residents of the home, and the Providence Canteen provided support to firefighters.