LACONIA — About a dozen homes near ABC Fabricators on Cook Court in the downtown area were evacuated this morning after a report of an acid spill.

Laconia Fire Department officials said the call came in at 5:40 a.m. for a spill in the area near Water Street.

About 250 gallons of nitric acid are believed to have spilled at the factory.

As a precaution, homes were evacuated.

Since 1979, ABC Fabricators has been specializing in the manufacture of electronic circuit boards, according to online information about the company.

An attempt to reach officials at the company this morning was not immediately successful.

Fire Chief Kenneth Erickson said six firefighters were taken to Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia to be treated and evaluated for inhalation of "red fuming nitric acid" which had burned a hole through the floor and prompted fire alarms to activate at 5:15 a.m.

By 7 a.m., 14 houses containing 13 occupants were evacuated in the neighborhood bordered by Court Street, Fair Street and Water Street. The evacuation also extended to businesses in the same building as ABC Fabricators, including Little Ceasars Pizza, a skate park, and New England Electrical Solutions.

The state emergency hazardous materials response team was on the scene, and Erickson said he hoped the chemicals would be vented, neutralized, and removed by 1 p.m., when the occupants would be allowed to return.