A family in Deering was displaced by an early-morning fire that tore through their property on Tuesday, destroying a barn and leaving some animals unaccounted for.
Around 1:30 a.m., the Deering Fire Department responded to a house on Dickey Hill Road after receiving reports of a fire in the barn beside it.
Fire Chief Robert Richards said that by the time firefighters arrived, the barn was already engulfed in flames and had been completely destroyed.
The fire quickly spread to the rear of the three-bedroom home, burning through the exterior before making its way inside.
“The house is pretty much gutted inside, and they won’t be able to live there,” Richards said.
The barn housed several animals, including horses and goats, and responders are still assessing the losses. Richards said at least one horse got loose, and firefighters were able to remove a bird safely from the home.
The blaze was brought under control within an hour with assistance from neighboring fire crews, including Chichester, Weare, Hopkinton, Bradford, Henniker, Goffstown, New Boston, Francestown, Bennington, Antrim and others. The American Red Cross was also called to help at the scene.
No residents or firefighters were injured.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time because of extensive damage to the barn, the suspected area of origin.