4 flee burning house; wood-stove ashes blamed

LACONIA — Improper disposal of wood-stove ashes is being blamed for a two-alarm fire that seriously damaged a home on White Oaks Road Sunday evening, officials say.

The Laconia Fire Department was alerted to the fire at the 1½ story residence at 724 White Oaks Road at 6:20 p.m. Sunday.

The first firefighters responding to the call could see smoke in the distance, prompting a first alarm, calling for additional personnel and equipment. When the first fire engine from the Weirs Beach Station arrived at the scene, firefighters could see fire coming from the building, causing a second alarm to be struck.

Smoke detectors alerted the home’s four occupants — three adults and a teenager — who were able to flee the house safely, according to Fire Chief Kirk Beattie.

The house was located at the end of an 800-foot driveway, and approximately one mile from the closest fire hydrant. Fire engines shuttled water from the hydrant to the fire scene, Beattie explained.

Crews were able to bring the fire under control in two hours, but it took another 1½ hours for the fire to be completely extinguished, Beattie said.

The fire was caused by placing ashes from a wood stove too close to combustibles, the chief said. He estimated the damage at $125,000.

The occupants spent Sunday night at a hotel, the chief said, but he was unsure Monday what housing arrangements they had going forward.

Beattie said the fire serves as a reminder to homeowners with wood-burning stoves to place discarded stove ashes in a metal container and then make sure that container is kept away from the side of a building or anything else that could catch fire. Embers from wood-stove ashes can smolder for “many hours,” Beattie said.

Assisting the Laconia Fire Department at the scene were personnel from the Gilford, Belmont, Meredith, Holderness, and Franklin fire departments, and the Laconia Police Department. Personnel and equipment from the Meredith, Center Harbor, and Belmont fire departments, as well as Meredith EMS, covered the Laconia and Weirs stations.