A family of five has been displaced after a fire caused heavy damage to their home and killed their pet cat.

The Monday, March 5, fire was likely caused by a candle which was either left burning or not properly extinguished, according to Salem Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Emanuelson.

Nicole Talarico, who lives at 13 Taylor St., had just arrived at Lancaster School, where she runs an afterschool program, when she received a call from a neighbor telling her the house was burning.

No one was home at the time of the fire. Talarico’s husband, Frank, was also at work and their three young children were all under the care of others.

Talarico told firefighters she thought she had extinguished the candle, Emanuelson said.

Numerous calls from neighbors to the fire department were placed around 3:09 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene only two minutes later, Emanuelson said.

When firefighters arrived, they found the bottom portion of the home burning and smoking.

Emanuelson said the candle was located in the family’s finished basement, which served as a playroom for their three young children.

Though firefighters made a quick effort, Emanuelson said the basement was mostly destroyed and the first floor suffered extensive smoke and water damage.

The Talaricos stood in the driveway with tears in their eyes as they watched firefighters extinguish the flames and search for their cat, which perished in the blaze.

Emanuelson said he estimates the damage to the home to be roughly $50,000. It will need numerous repairs before the family can move back in.

“They’ll be out of their home for a while,” he said. “I would suspect a few months.”

Currently the Talaricos are living with nearby relatives while they assess the damage.