A home in Chichester burned down Friday night, displacing five people, a cat and a dog. All of them were evacuated safely.
The Chichester Fire Department responded to Horse Corner Road at approximately 9:40 p.m. to reports of a structure fire, according to the department’s Facebook page. No smoke alarms sounded. The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office judged that the fire was accidental.
The home belongs to David and Lisa Bousquet, who live with an elderly aunt, according to a neighbor’s GoFundMe page. The family lost most of their belongings in the blaze. First responders retrieved a cat and dog from the house.
The structure was “fully engulfed” within minutes of a bathroom ventilation fan catching fire, states the GoFundMe page, created by J. Brandon Giuda. The fire department said the flames most likely originated in the exhaust fan.
The residents were awake when the fire broke out and evacuated prior to the firefighters’ arrival. An ambulance from Barnstead Fire Rescue evaluated the occupants and found no serious injuries.
The Bousquets live “paycheck to paycheck,” according to the GoFundMe.
“They need support to replace essential items, secure temporary housing, and cover basic needs as they work to recover from this tragedy. David grew up in Pittsfield and has spent most of his life in Pittsfield or Chichester. He is known in the community as someone who would give the shirt off his back to help others, and now he and his family need help themselves,” the site says.
Chichester Fire received help from Concord, Loudon, Epsom, Pittsfield, Allenstown, Hooksett and the Capital Area Fire Mutual Aid Compact. Pembroke covered the station during the response, and Loudon’s ambulance responded to a medical emergency happening elsewhere in Chichester.
“This serves as an important reminder to all residents: ensure your home has working smoke alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas,” the fire department stated in its post. “Test them monthly, replace batteries as needed, and replace smoke alarms according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Working smoke alarms provide early warning and can make the difference between a close call and a tragedy.”
For more information about the GoFundMe, visit https://gofund.me/b3fce392d.