Fire destroys gilford home

Despite the valiant efforts of firefighters from five communities, the Lakeshore Road residence of Ronald Howard Jr. was completely destroyed by a blaze early Monday morning.

According to Gilford Fire Chief James Hayes, the one-alarm fire was reported around 8 a.m. yesterday, bringing to the scene firefighters from Alton, Belmont, Laconia, and Meredith as part of the mutual aid agreement. "We had the fire under control by 9:30 a.m., but by then the home had been lost," Hayes observed, noting that the icy condition of the driveway leading up to the home made it impossible for trucks to get near the house. Firefighters remained on the scene until noon, making certain the fire was safely extinguished.

The home's owner, Hayes said, is currently out of the country and a housesitter was watching the home during the absence. "Fortunately, there were no injuries," Hayes reported. "The only person in the house escaped safely, and we had no injuries among the firefighters."

The chief indicated that there was nothing about the blaze that hinted at a suspicious nature. "We're looking at either an unattended candle or smoking materials as being the likely cause," he said.

Frustrated by the inability of firefighters to get in close enough to battle the blaze because of the steep, icy driveway, Hayes wanted to remind people of the need to be prepared for emergencies. "When there's snow and ice, we encourage people to make sure they sand their driveways," he said. "You never know when an emergency will arise."