Fire destroys house in Gunstock Acres (340) photo

Gail Ober – Laconia Daily Sun

GILFORD — A fire that swept through a chalet type home on Mountain Drive early Sunday morning left nothing in its wake except a chimney and a few smoldering piles of rubble.

Deputy Fire Chief Brad Ober said it appeared the fire had been burning a while before a neighbor noticed and reported it. He said that when the first firefighters arrived, the front wall of the home was already beginning to collapse.

Ober said the owner, who is listed in the Gilford assessment website as Joseph Trevorah, was traveling in Florida in a motor home and was planning on returning sometime next month. Ober said that Trevorah said he had told his plow person to wait until he was returning before cleaning the driveway, but Ober said there wasn't enough snow to hamper any firefighter efforts.

He said it was brutally cold and the wind was blowing up the mountain directly into the faces of the firefighters. He said once the water hit the flames, the steam practically obscured what firefighters could see.

Chief Steve Carrier said water was shuttled from a dry hydrant on Tate Road, but water lines, nozzles and other apparatus were freezing. Ober said that once mist and water gets on firefighters outer clothing, it also freezes and becomes very difficult to move around.

Although there was some icing, there were no slips or falls that resulted in any serious injuries.

The building is assessed by Gilford at $133,000 and Ober said it is a total loss.

As late as Monday morning, puffs of smoke could still be seen coming from under the collapsed debris from the roof. It appears that none of the three family cars that were parked off to the side of the home were damaged.

Fire destroyed this home on Mountain Drive in Gunstock Acres early Sunday. The owner was away at the time, and while the fire caused no personal injuries the bitter temperatures made fighting the fire very difficult. (Gail Ober photo/The Laconia Daily Sun)