Fire destroyed a house and barn on North Road today after the homeowner punctured his propane tank while clearing snow with his tractor.

Firefighters were called to the house at 10:45 a.m., but when they arrived, the barn was almost destroyed and half the house was on fire, said Fire Chief Skip Wood.

Firefighters had no easy access to water but eventually were able to drain a pond farther down the road to put the fire out, he said.

The owner, Benjamin Rousseau, had his clothing singed but was not injured.