One person dies in Gilford tent fire early Friday morning

GILFORD — Emergency responders found one person dead after a tent behind a mobile home park caught fire early Friday morning.

Wayne Miller, 67, was later identified as the victim by the state Medical Examiner's Office. The tent fire broke out behind unit No. 30 at 23 Liscomb Circle. The cause of death was determined to be accidental smoke inhalation.

“We were called to the area for a fire with some explosions around 3:21 [Friday] morning,” Gilford Fire Department Chief Stephen Carrier. “Prior to our arrival we received calls that said there was a tent on fire behind some buildings.”

When firefighters arrived, the tent was fully consumed by fire, and nearby brush was also ablaze, Carrier said. The Laconia Fire Department also responded.

The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the fire, Carrier said. 

Firefighters found electrical power running to the tent, indicated by an extension cord and heaters.

“We had to extinguish the fire and stop it from spreading,” Carrier said. “We stretched the hose and extinguished the fire, then we helped secure the scene for the state Fire Marshal’s investigation.”

The trailer nearest the burning tent was not damaged, but the ordeal did alert neighbors who rushed to the scene.

“The fire was confined to the tent, its contents, and the brush immediately adjacent to it. There was no damage to the building,” a Gilford Fire Department press release stated.

Gilford police also responded to the scene after receiving an emergency call at about 3:20 a.m. Friday, Capt. Dustin Parent said. 

Officers arrived to find the tent on fire and learned Miller died as a result, Parent said.

An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on Friday morning, he said.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office did not respond to requests for additional information. 

Robert Leblanc, who lives near where the fire broke out, was awoken early Friday morning to what he described as an explosion.

“There were two loud explosions that kind of shook the place,” Leblanc said. “There was a very big fireball.”

Leblanc said neighbors suspected there was at least one individual living in a tent behind that property. They had noticed campers behind trailers which abut the tree line. 

“It sounded like a bomb, actually,” Leblanc said. “It sounded like bombs going off — it was very loud.”

Leblanc said he and another neighbor arrived at the scene before the police and fire departments.

Police and fire personnel pushed onlookers away from the scene upon their arrival. 

“It was kind of shocking, you know,” Leblanc said. 

"State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey would like to remind the public, when using supplemental heating sources such as space heater, make sure you are following the manufacturer's specifications for clearance, or a minimum of three feet from combustible materials, around the appliance," a press release read. "Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the area where the heating appliance is being utilized. If you have any questions about fire safety in your homes, please contact your local fire department or the NH State Fire Marshal's Office."