2-alarm fire damaged South End duplex

LACONIA — City firefighters were able to quickly contain a fire which damaged a duplex in the city’s South End Wednesday afternoon.

The fire at 11 Clay St. was discovered at about 3 p.m.

A second alarm for additional fire personnel and equipment was struck moments after the first Laconia firefighters arrived on the scene. The 2½ story house is situated on a narrow street where small, multifamily dwellings are spaced close together.

Michael Vashaw, who lives across the street, said he came out of his residence and saw smoke pouring out of the windows on the second floor and flames showing from the attic directly above.

Vashaw said three or four people lived on the first floor of the building and one person occupied the second floor. The second-floor resident was walking down the street minutes after Vashaw spotted the fire, he said. It was not clear whether anyone was on the first floor of the building when the fire started.

Firefighters and equipment from Meredith, Sanbornton, Gilford, Franklin, Holderness and Tilton-Northfield fire departments were called to assist Laconia.