By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CHARLESTOWN, N.H. — A mobile home in Charlestown was heavily damaged and left unlivable after it caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, with eight departments helping knock down the blaze.
According to Firefighter Joe Carter, the first alarm fire came in at 2:12 p.m. and crews arrived at 37 Acworth Stage Road seven minutes later. Carter said that there was nobody home at the time, and the call came in from the homeowner who viewed smoke upon arrival.
“When she got there she told us there was heavy smoke coming from the building,” Carter said. “When we arrived, there was light and heavy smoke coming out of the building. Upon arrival we were informed by the police chief that there was fire coming out of the back of the building.”
Fire Departments from both New Hampshire and Vermont assisted, including from the towns of Springfield, Langdon, Bellows Falls, Walpole, North Walpole, Rockingham, Westminster and Acworth. They were able to knock down the fire at 2:54 p.m.
“We had a secondary situation because there was a fire underneath the home,” he said. “It was a doublewide mobile home, and there was a fire underneath that didn’t get extinguished and came up into a room. There was a little flare up afterwards but the major hazard was extinguished then.”
Carter said that while it is up to the insurance company, he believes the house will be a considered a total loss.
“With the heat damage and smoke damage throughout the house it is not livable,” Carter said. “The kitchen area was the main extent of the fire.”
There were no human injuries, but there were unfortunately several dogs and a cage of birds that perished in the fire. Carter confirmed that the family had connected with American Red Cross for assistance.
Carter said that all crews on scene worked well and did a great job to save the structure for what it was. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
“The fire investigators still haven’t gotten back to us with information about the cause,” Carter said. “The homeowners were not aware of any reason for the fire.”
