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3 towns battle fires in subzero conditions

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Jan 23, 2019

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Milford firefighter positions himself on an aerial ladder to attack flames burning through the roof during Tuesday's early-morning fire at 25 Crosby St. Crews also battled sub-zero windchills and dealt with icy conditions throughout.

NASHUA – Firefighters in three Greater Nashua communities, along with crews from numerous surrounding towns, braved subzero wind chills to fight fires that broke out Monday.

No humans were reported injured in the blazes, which struck a landscaping business in Hollis Monday morning, destroyed a large barn in Pelham at about 9:30 p.m., then heavily damaged a two-and-a-half-story home at 25 Crosby St. in Milford beginning shortly before midnight, officials said.

However, the Pelham fire resulted in the death of three horses, despite attempts to rescue them, fire department public information officer Lt. Robert Horne said in a statement.

In Hollis, flames caused significant damage to a large building on the property of 23 Proctor Hill Road, which is on the north side of the road just west of the intersection of Routes 130 and 122, known locally as the Four Corners.

Neighbors said the fire was discovered shortly after 9:30 a.m., and firefighters arrived to heavy smoke coming from the building.

Firefighters from surrounding towns, including Nashua, were dispatched to Hollis to either help out at the scene or cover the Hollis station.

Hollis police and fire officials continued investigating the cause of the blaze late Tuesday.

In Pelham, crews were called to 434 Mammoth Road just before 9:30 p.m. for what was reported as “an outside fire,” according to Horne, the fire department spokesman.

Engine 3, the first due engine, was still on Burns Road when the crew spotted heavy black smoke, which prompted Horne, who was also heading to the scene, to call for a working fire response.

The property the barn is on is set back from Mammoth Road, near the intersection of Burns Road. The Engine 3 crew accessed the barn via a long driveway connected to Burns Road, Horne said.

There, they found the barn, roughly 40 feet by 30 feet, engulfed in flames. After an initial attack, they were forced to fight the fire defensively, he said. The “sheer volume of the fire” made it impossible to rescue the horses.

The cause remains under investigation. Pelham crews were assisted by firefighters from Hudson, Windham, Salem and Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, the call came in for the Milford fire very early Tuesday morning, minutes past midnight. This drew firefighters into the bitter cold to fight the Crosby Street blaze, which Fire Chief Jack Kelly said may have started in or near a wood stove.

Kelly said the owner of the single-family house and some relatives were home when the fire started, but were able to evacuate the building safely and without any injuries.

“Conditions were really bad … it was just miserable,” Kelly said, referring to the frigid temperatures. The conditions prompted officials to summon mutual aid crews to the scene so they could rotate firefighters more frequently than normal, which lessened the chances they would suffer frostbite or hypothermia.

Amherst, Wilton, Mont Vernon and Brookline sent crews to the scene, while engines from Merrimack and Bedford covered the Milford station.

While the cause appears to involve the wood stove, officials are continuing their investigation, Kelly said.

Kelly said the rapid spread of the flames was due to the lack of firestops in the walls, a condition called “balloon construction” that is common in old houses. According to town property records, the house was built in 1888. The current owners are listed as Walter and Pamela Roach.

A Salvation Army emergency disaster services van was stationed at the scene, giving firefighters and other emergency responders a place to warm up and get hot drinks and snacks.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com, or @Telegraph_DeanS.

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