No one injured in laundromat fire

LACONIA — There were no injuries after a small duct fire at Helen's Superclean Laundromat on Union Avenue on Monday caused minimal damage. The call sparked response from the Laconia, Belmont and Gilford fire departments, with a Laconia police cruiser providing additional support. Crews quickly surrounded the building, which is also home to Lana Thai restaurant.

"When I arrived, the two ladies that were working in the facility had smoke in the building, and they believed they had seen flames flickering," said Assistant Fire Chief Jay Ellingson.

"When we got here with a fire apparatus we stretched a hose line to the front doors and checked the building. We found increasing smoke and it was a small fire in the ductwork and it was quickly extinguished."

Ellingson added that the fire stayed confined to the duct work. When The Sun arrived on scene, firefighters could be seen entering the building.

Laconia Fire Chief Tim Joubert and a small group forced their way into the shuttered restaurant to make sure the fire hadn't spread across the building. 

"Luckily, early notification was able to prevent this from being a much more difficult fire, because that ductwork travels through a lot of false openings in the ceiling and out the back wall," Ellingson said. "It's a wood frame building, so their quick realization and a quick 911 call made all the difference."