MILFORD – Temperatures were hovering around zero Monday night as firefighters from several towns helped the Milford Fire Department fight fire and bitter cold at a midnight blaze at 25 Crosby St.

No one was injured, said Milford Fire Chief Jack Kelly, but “conditions were really bad … it was just miserable.”

Mutual aid from several town, including Amherst, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Brookline, help him rotate firefighters so they could avoid frostbite and hypothermia. Merrimack and Bedford departments covered the Milford station.

The owner of the single-family house and some relatives were home when the fire started, Kelly said, and were able to leave safely.

The cause was undetermined, but the fire probably started in the wood stove and spread quickly due to the old house’s balloon-frame construction, meaning there were no fire stops.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Milford firefighters stretch hoses to attack the fire that broke out shortly after midnight at 25 Crosby St. Crews from several towns assisted Milford in battling the blaze in sub-zero conditions.

Kathy Cleveland may be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.