House fire sets off live AMMO inside

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) - A man and a woman got out of their home safely after it caught fire late Wednesday night in South Kingstown. Firefighters faced a rare obstacle, and it wasn't just the cold.

The call came in just after 11 p.m. Wednesday as the fire raged through a two-story house on Kingstown Road in the Peacedale section of South Kingstown. A woman was able to escape the blaze with minor burns on her feet, while the man escaped unhurt.

"He got up, noticed that the house was on fire, got her out and called 911," said Union Fire District Chief Bob Perry.

While on scene, the man revealed that there was live ammunition in the house.

"We went in once, the shotgun shells started going off, we backed out, we gave it a few minutes. We stopped, we went back in, shotgun shells started going off again," continued Perry.

One firefighter described it as loud firecrackers going off.

"It was very nerve-wracking. It's a nerve-wracking job, it's very scary at times. You're hearing shotgun shells go off in a house, that's not always the best feeling," said firefighter Justin Burgess.

The fire chief also said a situation like this is very rare for the department to see.

The state fire marshal is still investigating the cause.