Woman hurt, 150-year-old building damaged in fire caused by smoking

Fire at 15 Orange St., Laconia, yesterday did an estimated $200,000 damage. The building was built in 1870. Over the years, the home was converted into an apartment building, now housing 11 apartments. AP reports that a woman summoned help with her medical alert pendant and that one woman was seen running from the building with her clothes on fire. Five families were displaced. (Courtesy Laconia Fire Dept.)

By RICK GREEN, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — A woman who was smoking in an apartment where medical oxygen was used touched off a fire early Wednesday that did an estimated $200,000 damage to a nearly 150-year-old structure, fire officials said.

The woman, whose identity was not released, was taken to a hospital for treatment of burns. The injuries were not life-threatening, Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson said. A man was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.

The woman used her medical alert device to report the fire shortly after 4 a.m. Firefighters from Laconia’s Central Station responded within minutes and found flames shooting out of the building. Blaring smoke alarms warned residents of the fire and they were able to get out on their own.

“We had a significant volume of fire on arrival and the firefighters were able to knock that down,” Erickson said. “They did a phenomenal job.”

Crews searched the structure to make sure everybody got out safely.

“All the stars were aligned this morning,” Erickson said.

About 40 firefighters from several departments were able to get the blaze under control by 5:30 a.m. and they began leaving the scene at 9 a.m.

Fire crews prevented the blaze from spreading to a nearby building.

The fire department said the house at 15 Orange Court, off of Court Street, was built in 1870.

Warren Huse, an author who has written about the history of Laconia, said Richard Gove, a wealthy jeweler, built the brick mansion between the Winnipesaukee River and Orange Court.

Later it was home to merchant Frank H. Lougee, senior member of the original Lougee Bros. Department Store, located just south of the Main Street Bridge.

The building, which is two stories in front and three stories in back, was later converted into 11 apartments.

The original 12-foot-high ceilings had been lowered to 8 feet which made the job of firefighters more difficult because it created space for the fire to spread undetected.

The fire started in a front living room and was caused by discarded smoking materials.

“The occupant had been using medical oxygen prior to the fire,” stated a fire department news release. “This caused an oxygen-rich environment on the couch, which quickly ignited.”

The building is owned by Gilbert Trust of Laconia.