It was just after 8:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve when Webster’s volunteer firefighters got a call to suit up and head out.
Fire Chief Emmett Bean and his crew were dispatched to a house on White Plains Road that had caught fire. Despite the holiday, they didn’t hesitate.
“It’s the same when they leave at any other time, whether it’s Christmas Eve or leaving dinner time or when they drop off their kids at school,” Bean said. “It’s who you are and part of what you do and what you signed up for.”
The blaze, which engulfed a three-bedroom home built in 1994, was brought under control in under four hours. Bean said firefighters faced significant challenges, including extensive digging and overhaul inside the building.
“There was a lot of damage to the structure,” Bean said. “It is not livable at this time.”
All six residents, including a baby, escaped safely. However, one of the family’s cats died, while the other was rescued, Bean said.
Crews from Concord, Bow, Hopkinton, Loudon, Boscawen, Salisbury, Andover, Warner, and Penacook Rescue assisted through mutual aid. Bean said the fire appeared to have started due to an electrical issue.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas night or whatever; you just make sure that we leave the firehouse together and we all come home together,” he said. “We take care of each other and take care of the community.”
The one-and-three-quarter-story home is owned by Robert and Sandra Wesoja, according to property records.
Since the fire, the local community has been rallying around the family, who have also launched a GoFundMe page to help recover from the loss.