Bellingham firefighters had to back off from a large house fire on Sunday when family members of the homeowner warned them there might be hand grenades in the basement.
The fire started at the Farm Street home on Sunday night. After firefighters responded they learned of the possible presence of the hand grenades, and neighbors who called in the fire said they heard explosions at the start of the fire.
Bellingham Fire Chief Steven Gentile said the homeowner was brought to the hospital for injuries and that his condition was unknown.
The bomb squad responded to support the fire department. Firefighters were safely able to reenter the building when they determined the fire was not located near the likely site for the grenades.
The bomb squad later cleared the house of any explosives. The cause of the fire is not known.
