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Here is a pic and more info! Fire due to buildup of ash in the pellet stove chimney!!
ROCHESTER, N.H. -- In Rochester, a home on Prospect Street caught fire Sunday afternoon, firefighters said.
Fire officials said the fire started in the back of the house but spread to the extending barn.
There was no one home at the time.
Firefighters said the cause of the fire was accidental and that there was a buildup of ash in the pellet stove chimney.
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ROCHESTER — A Prospect Street barn was heavily damaged during a two-alarm wood pellet fire Sunday afternoon, although firefighters were able to save the structure as well as the house connected to it.
No one was home at the time of the fire, which started at about 2:30 p.m., but a neighbor did help the family's dog out of the 41 Prospect St. home before rescue officials arrived on scene, according to Rochester Police Sgt. Anthony Bossi.
Rochester Fire Marshall Mark Dupuis said the fire was caused by a buildup of ash within a wood pellet stove, which turned on automatically because of a thermostat. He said the stove is located on the first story of the home adjacent to a shared wall between the house and barn.
Dupuis said flames filled the stove's chimney, and while fire spread to the wall behind the stove, the majority of the flames went into the second story of the barn. Drop-down fire also did damage to the bottom floor of the barn, and most items stored in the barn were destroyed.
Dupuis said the stove was located in about an 18-foot by 20-foot space connecting the home and barn, although no smoke damage was done to the house despite the fact that he said the space is completely open to the rest of the house.
Because of the damage to the wall behind the stove and that the stove is the primary heat source for the family, Dupuis said they wouldn't be able to stay there Sunday night.
Assistant Fire Chief Richard Giguere said it took firefighters about 15 to 20 minutes to knock down the flames Sunday, and crews spent more than an hour overhauling the barn to ensure the fire was extinguished.
A second alarm was sounded shortly after the first in order to get more manpower to the scene, he said.
Firefighter Pat Couch, one of the first firefighters to arrive, said there were "good 10-foot-high flames shooting up the left side" of the garage when he arrived.
There were strong wind gusts Sunday afternoon, although Couch said the wind helped limit the fire's damage rather than fuel the flames or push them deeper into the structure.
"The wind helped blow them away from the building and house," said Couch. "It could've been a lot worse. The wind hasn't shifted at all."
Neighbors reported they were first alerted of the fire when they saw smoke filling the sky, even down at the intersection of Prospect and Franklin streets.
In addition to Rochester firefighters, several area mutual aid companies responded to Sunday's fire, including: Barrington, Durham, Farmington, Gonic, Milton and Somersworth. Frisbie Memorial EMS and Lebanon, Maine, EMS also responded to the scene.
Barrington, Dover, Farmington, Gonic, Milton, and Berwick, Maine, provided station coverage during various stages of the fire.
Rochester police assisted in closing off Prospect St. while fire crews were on scene, and the road reopened a couple hours later when most departments cleared the scene. The exact time the road reopened was unclear Sunday.
The family could not be reached for comment. American Red Cross provided its service to the family.
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