Two Cats Perish in Ledge Road Fire

Newport firefighters extinguished a house fire at 38 Ledge Road on Sunday morning that caused substantial damage to the house and took the lives of two cats.

The residents were not home when the fire broke out, authorities said, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Newport Fire Department Dep. Chief Dave Egan said no firefighters were injured as they fought the fire, which went to a second alarm about 20 minutes after the first crews arrived.

The call came in at 10:53 a.m. and firefighters found the fire apparently started in the first floor kitchen. Crews were able to contain the fire to that area, but there was fire damage in the adjacent hallway and heavy smoke damage throughout the entire house.

Egan said there there was “quite a bit of damage” on the first floor and there was both water and smoke damage.

Though the house might not be habitable, firefighters were able to control the fire and keep it from spreading to the rest of the house, a 1891-built single family home with a back yard that abuts Rough Point, the former estate of the late Doris Duke.

The house and property is assessed by the city at $2.99 million.