No injuries in Gilford house fire Tuesday night

GILFORD — Calls about a man on fire in front of a home brought Gilford and Laconia fire departments to a structure fire at 25 Breton Road Tuesday night.

Police and firefighters arrived to find a house on fire, but no burn victim. Services from Meredith, Belmont, Alton, Tilton-Northfield, Center Harbor, Franklin, Sanbornton and Gilmanton provided assistance.

According to a written statement released by Gilford Fire Chief Steve Carrier, the overhaul of the building was “extensive,” due to ceilings and walls that had to be pulled down to reveal hidden pockets of fire. The statement also described difficulties from live power lines and icy surfaces. Despite these challenges, crews had the fire under control in less than an hour.

Carrier said in an interview the cause of the fire is currently undetermined but appears to have started in the building’s garage.

“We do know there were a number of space heaters in the building, we can't pinpoint nor were the occupants able to pinpoint the cause at this time. We believe there were four people in the building.”

Despite earlier calls of a man on fire, Carrier said there didn’t appear to be any injuries or fatalities so far in the investigation. According to reports from the scene, a neighbor described the home as having a history of frequent police visits.

As for the building, Carrier estimated the damage to be at least $250,000.

“It’s close to a total loss if not a total loss,” Carrier said Wednesday. “There’s damage to at least half of the building. There’s also significant smoke and water damage.”

According to Carrier, the occupants have been put into touch with the Red Cross for assistance.

Despite the low temperatures and abundance of snow, house fires are far more common in the winter months due to the use of space heaters, ovens and other appliances.