Electrical fire leaves Alton home uninhabitable

ALTON — An electrical fire Thursday evening left a Coffin Brook Road home temporarily uninhabitable, but the occupants were uninjured and are staying with relatives, according to Fire Chief Jim Beaudoin.

Alton Fire-Rescue was called to the single-family residence at 6:53 p.m., for a reported second-floor fire. Because the town’s ladder truck was out of service, New Durham provided its aerial apparatus, and other Mutual Aid departments also responded.

Chief Beaudoin said fire was visible in a second-floor window of the 30-foot by 40-foot cape when he arrived at 7 p.m. A single hose deployed to the second floor kept the fire from spreading further, and the crew brought additional hose line to extinguish the blaze.

Additional crews checked the building and ventilated smoke, covering valuables with heavy tarps.

The fire was under control by 7:21 p.m. and all fire companies were cleared of the scene by 8:42 p.m.

Beaudoin said the fire started in a second-floor bedroom, and is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical equipment, and not the home wiring.

He said there were working smoke detectors in the home.

There is no estimate of the damage at this time, he said, explaining that it was largely smoke and water damage that made it uninhabitable until the homeowner is able to clean it up.

“We’ve done our investigation, and turned it back over to homeowner,” Beaudoin said.

Firefighters from Gilmanton, New Durham, Barnstead, Wolfeboro, Belmont, Farmington, and Gilford, along with Stewart’s Ambulance, assisted the Alton department.

Beaudoin used the incident to remind all residents to have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their residences, and to practice fire safety.