SANDOWN — A two-alarm fire at 189 North Road engulfed a home on Monday, displacing two residents who were at work at the time.
Plaistow, Atkinson, Derry, Hampstead and Danville provided mutual aid at the scene, along with six other neighboring departments.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to fire Chief Michael Devine.
Devine said Sandown Fire Rescue was dispatched Monday at 12:16 p.m. after reports of a building fire with residents possibly trapped.
The chief called for a second alarm after assessing the property and seeing heavy flames billowing from the front and right sides.
Smoke was apparent throughout the house, the chief added, and flames ripped through the roof.
The residents were eventually contacted with help from the town clerk’s office. Both were at work and unaware of the fire.
The chief said he was not made aware of any pets that needed to be rescued.
Efforts to control the fire were impeded by difficulty accessing the driveway.
Devine said there were several cars in the approximately 300-foot driveway which was also narrow and not ideal to stabilize a ladder truck.
He noted that aid was only able “to get within 100 feet of the house which hindered operations.”
Sandown Fire Rescue and mutual aid attacked the fire from the outside and implemented a “defensive mode” due to the fire’s extent, Devine explained.
The fire was brought under control about 2 p.m., but the structure was deemed a total loss. The American Red Cross is working with the residents to find housing.
Sandown responded to over 600 calls in 2022, up 23% from 2021. Devine believes the department is already on pace to match that.
Sandown Fire Rescue has responded to 14 calls in the first week of 2023. This was the first for a fire.
Devine said Sandown residents are fairly safe, but most are not around town in the afternoon hours. He encouraged people to check their smoke alarms and be alert in their neighborhoods.
He added, “Smoke detectors save lives and early notification helps us do our job.”