Home » News » Public Safety
June 16. 2012 8:03AM
31 Ocean Blvd. Hampton, NH 03842
(Lisa Martineau)
Fire 'probably totaled' apartments, owner says
(Lisa Martineau)
Most New Hampshire Union Leader photographs are available for purchase, as are full page reproductions of the newspaper.
HAMPTON — Three families are homeless after an early-morning, two-alarm fire on Ocean Boulevard on Saturday.
No injuries were reported to residents or firefighters, but two family pets, a cat and a dog, were killed in the fire.
The Red Cross found temporary housing and provided food and clothing for 10 adults and three children, ages 7 months, 4 and 9.
Neighbors reportedly saw flames about 2:34 a.m. and called for help.
Residential units on the second floor of the two-story building at 31 Ocean Boulevard were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, according to Capt. John Stevens of the Hampton Fire Department. The flames were knocked down in about an hour. The blaze was under control by 4 a.m., Stevens said.
It will be some time before the second floor can be occupied, Stevens said.
Mutual aid was provided by Amesbury, Mass., Dover, Exeter, Greenland, the Navy Yard, Newbury, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Hampton Falls, Salisbury, Seabrook, Stratham and Portsmouth.
“My guess is the building is probably totaled,'' said Tom Higgins, owner of Harris Real Estate.
His offices, on the first floor, sustained smoke and water damage, but Higgins was open Saturday morning, without power, to allow summer cottage renters to check in. It was uncertain whether the town would let him remain open, but neighboring businesses have offered space if necessary, he said. A town inspector will make the determination.
“We were able to check everyone in,'' Higgins said.
The building contains five apartments, Higgins said. The fire may have started in the kitchen area of one of them, he said. He believes two of the units burned and two others were damaged.
A fire wall between the units prevented it from being much worse than it could have been, he said. The wall was added during some new construction on the building, he said.
Residents were still waiting for permission to go in and assess the damage Saturday. Higgins estimated the damage could be about $400,000.
The Hampton Fire Investigation Unit is trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
Julie Hanson may be reached at Jhanson@newstote.com.
No injuries were reported to residents or firefighters, but two family pets, a cat and a dog, were killed in the fire.
The Red Cross found temporary housing and provided food and clothing for 10 adults and three children, ages 7 months, 4 and 9.
Neighbors reportedly saw flames about 2:34 a.m. and called for help.
Residential units on the second floor of the two-story building at 31 Ocean Boulevard were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, according to Capt. John Stevens of the Hampton Fire Department. The flames were knocked down in about an hour. The blaze was under control by 4 a.m., Stevens said.
It will be some time before the second floor can be occupied, Stevens said.
Mutual aid was provided by Amesbury, Mass., Dover, Exeter, Greenland, the Navy Yard, Newbury, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Hampton Falls, Salisbury, Seabrook, Stratham and Portsmouth.
“My guess is the building is probably totaled,'' said Tom Higgins, owner of Harris Real Estate.
His offices, on the first floor, sustained smoke and water damage, but Higgins was open Saturday morning, without power, to allow summer cottage renters to check in. It was uncertain whether the town would let him remain open, but neighboring businesses have offered space if necessary, he said. A town inspector will make the determination.
“We were able to check everyone in,'' Higgins said.
The building contains five apartments, Higgins said. The fire may have started in the kitchen area of one of them, he said. He believes two of the units burned and two others were damaged.
A fire wall between the units prevented it from being much worse than it could have been, he said. The wall was added during some new construction on the building, he said.
Residents were still waiting for permission to go in and assess the damage Saturday. Higgins estimated the damage could be about $400,000.
The Hampton Fire Investigation Unit is trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
- - - - - - - -
Julie Hanson may be reached at Jhanson@newstote.com.
- Lightning strikes Manchester home, sparks fire - 0
- Asphalt truck overturns in Jaffrey - 0
- Police to educate Manchester motorists on distracted driving - 6
- Bird's nest may have caused house fire in Hudson - 1
- New Ipswich man burned in garage fire, flown to Boston - 0
- Two sustained minor injuries in Rochester crash Sunday - 0
- Boat crash in Tuftonboro investigated - 0
- Driving lesson turns into car accident in Laconia - 0
- Fire destroys vacant Berlin building - 0
Nottingham man injured in wagon accident suing Hampton Falls orchard
READER COMMENTS: 0- Manchester police seek Food Mart robber - 1
- White Sox lefty Quintana shuts down Red Sox - 0
- Manchester mayor to oversee economic development office - 0
- NHIAA boxscores, summaries for May 21 - 0
- NHIAA Roundup: Bedford rolls in NHIAA tennis tournament opener - 0
- Franklin Pierce to play Shippensburg in Div. II baseball World Series - 0
- Amendola getting up to speed with Patriots - 0
- Roger Brown's Diamond Notes: Londonderry’s double threat - 0
- No curbside collections in Manchester on Monday - 0
For now, no more breakfasts in Manchester's Veterans Park
READER COMMENTS: 0| Follow us: | ||
 |
 |
 |
Sorry, no question available