(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)
Firefighters hose down the remains of items in a homeless encampment that burned Tuesday morning.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)
Two police officers keep an eye on flames burning in a homeless encampment as they await the arrival of firefighters to the scene Tuesday morning.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Firefighters hose down the remains of items in a homeless encampment that burned Tuesday morning.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)
Blankets, clothing and other items go up in flames as fire swept through a homeless encampment near the Manchester-Goffstown line Tuesday morning.

MANCHESTER — Fire officials and police detectives are investigating the cause and circumstances of a fire that broke out early Tuesday afternoon in a homeless encampment near the Manchester-Goffstown line.

Multiple calls began coming in to fire dispatch reporting a large column of smoke coming from an area along power lines where Goffstown Road crosses.

Firefighters responded to an area commonly referred to as “black acres,” which is an expansive wooded area along the Manchester-Goffstown line.

Crews headed into the woods carrying fire extinguishers after determining the smoke was coming from a fire behind the Mt. Calvary cemetery, which is between Goffstown Road and Front Street in far northern Manchester.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Two police officers keep an eye on flames burning in a homeless encampment as they await the arrival of firefighters to the scene Tuesday morning.

There they located a homeless encampment that was on fire and was adjacent to several other encampments that were not burning.

Firefighters requested assistance from the department’s forestry unit. which includes a 4 wheel drive vehicle that carries a tank of water and can negotiate rough terrain.

While awaiting a water supply, firefighters used hand tools to keep the fire from spreading and removed several propane tanks away from the fire to prevent a potentially dangerous situation.

The forestry unit accessed the area through roads that are along the power lines. In addition to the four-wheel drive vehicle crews pulled a hose line from a fire engine that had additional water supply.

Crews searched the adjacent tents for occupants but none were located. Indications at the location is several people have actively been living in tents and temporary structures. A person who works for the cemetery witnessed a person quickly leaving the area, and police are investigating that information.

(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Blankets, clothing and other items go up in flames as fire swept through a homeless encampment near the Manchester-Goffstown line Tuesday morning.

Crews extinguished the fire after about an hour’s work at the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with any information that may assist the investigation is asked do contact Manchester police at 668-8711 or Manchester fire headquarters at 669-2256.

–JEFFREY HASTINGS