Swansea Mayor Jim Rauckman said he and his family plan to rebuild their house, which was extensively damaged by a fire Monday night.

"The shell is OK. We just have to rebuild everything on the inside," Rauckman said.

The fire was accidentally started by a family member disposing of hot food in an outside trash can in the back of the home at 37 Ednick Drive.

"The home is significantly damaged. Very little of the contents of the house was salvageable," Rauckman said. "There's no way it can be lived in at this point."

The fire itself was contained to the attic and backside of the home. However, the amount of water used to extinguish the fire over several hours caused extensive damage to the interior.

"A lot of water got pumped into the attic, and the ceilings all fell in," Rauckman said.

Rauckman, his wife and two teenage sons are currently staying in another smaller house they own in Swansea, where friends and relatives stay on occasion.

Rauckman said this week has been "trying" on him and his family, but they have landed right back on their feet. "Life goes on," he said.

The Rauckmans' cat Virginia, which goes by "Gato," is doing well, Rauckman said. The cat was rescued from the home by a Swansea volunteer firefighter.

The family has "adequate" insurance to cover the loss, according to Rauckman.

Rauckman said he appreciates the "great outpouring of support" from family, friends and community members.

Contact reporter Jamie Forsythe at 239-2562 or jforsythe1@bnd.com.