LACONIA — A fire overnight which displaced more than a dozen people from an apartment building early Tuesday morning may have been deliberately set, according the city's fire chief.
Chief Kirk Beattie said the fire which heavily damaged the eight-unit apartment building on 17 Dyer St. is believed to be suspicious.
The fire was spotted shortly after 12:30 a.m. by a neighbor who saw the flames and then pounded on the doors of each apartment to alert the occupants, many of whom were in bed.
None of the building's occupants was injured, Beattie said. Also, no firefighters suffered injuries. However, one bystander was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, the chief said.
Between 16 and 18 people were living in the building at the time, according to David Crawford, the property manager.
Because of the fire's suspicious nature the state Fire Marshal's Office has been called in to investigate. Laconia police are also involved in the investigation, Beattie said.
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