By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — For the second time in three days, the fast-acting Claremont firefighters and a working sprinkler system held a fire to a room of origin, averting potential disastrous implications if the flames spread throughout the building.
According to Claremont Fire Chief Jim Chamberlain, on Friday at 4:47 a.m., the fire department responded to radio box 0018 at Stan’s Homestead Industries, located at 247 Sullivan Street. Engine 3 and Ladder 2 arrived to find smoke coming from the front right corner of the building. A release by the Claremont Fire Department stated that C-1 responded and initiated a recall for all Claremont Fire personnel.
“Initial crews stretched a 1 3/4 handline and entered the building,” the report stated. “Given the size of the building, the incident was bumped into a full first alarm assignment, bringing mutual aid from Windsor, Vermont, and Newport, New Hampshire. Interior crews discovered an activated sprinkler head and an active fire in the affected area. The fire was quickly extinguished with the handline.”
Chamberlain said firefighters extended an attack line, entered the building, and were able to identify a sprinkler activation and subsequently a fire in the room where the sprinkler head was.
The fire was under control at 5:53 a.m. and while Chamberlain said the fire doesn’t appear to be suspicious, it is under investigation.
“This, once again, highlights the importance of sprinkler systems,” Chamberlain said. “Last year we went to a fire at that property in a building out back that was arguably one of the largest fires in Claremont history. That building did not have working sprinkler systems, but here the sprinklers did their job and held the fire to the room of origin.”
The other fire Chamberlain was referring to was a three-alarm fire that started on Aug. 5, 2023, and went on for the better part of two days. More than 20 departments helped put out the fire, as there was an extreme fire load in the building and a struggle with the hydrant system.
“The building we went to this morning is large and also had a large fire load, but the sprinkler system allowed us to effectively mitigate the fire,” he said. “Also, the fire at Marion Phillips, the sprinkler system kept the fire at the room of origin. It just shows the importance of sprinkler system.”
The fire at the Marion Phillips apartment complex on Wednesday night was held to a fourth-floor room, and firefighters were able to knock down the fire and limit damage to that area. There were several other units that sustained water damage, but the majority of the building was unscathed. There was one person injured in that fire, with burns that were not life threatening.
Chamberlain said 96% of fires will be held to the room of origin, and the other 4% is due to human error.
He also said damages were essentially contents in the room, and there was no damage to the structural integrity of the building.
“That building is a maze going through there, so any fire there presents us with some extreme challenges from a firefighting tactic perspective, so that is why we require sprinkler systems in those buildings,” Chamberlain said. “They are effective, and this morning is a picture-perfect example of their effectiveness.”
Chamberlain also praised the work of the Claremont Fire Department for their work in knocking down the blaze with relatively little damage, and also no injuries reported.
“I want to commend the initial crews for their exceptional work in handling one of the largest and most challenging buildings in our city,” Chamberlain said. “The citizens of Claremont can take pride in their efforts and the effective mitigation tactics they displayed.”
