A second-alarm fire in Salisbury left a home that was for sale uninhabitable, officials said.
Salisbury Fire and Rescue Department responded to 535 Old Turnpike Rd. at 5:39 a.m. when the one-story ranch was already “well involved.” Deputy Fire Chief Joshua Nixon said heavy fire on the left side of the house had already gone through the roof, suggesting it had been burning for a while.
“I attempted to go up to the door, but I couldn’t even get close enough to the house,” Nixon said. “So at that point, when we arrived on scene, even if there had been anyone in the house, we most likely would not have been able to go in to search for them because it would have been too dangerous for us.”
The crew attacked the flames from the outside of the house, using hand lines and water shuttles. The fire was under control and turned over to the homeowner by 9:30 a.m., Nixon said. No injuries were reported at the scene and the cause is still being investigated.
“Part of the house is still standing, but that part of the house has pretty heavy fire damage, definitely smoke and water damage,” he said.
The Salisbury home had been put up for sale in April at $525,000 and had stayed on the market until Sunday, when the listing was removed. Nixon said the homeowner was not present when the fire started but arrived at the scene during the operation, Nixon said.
The home is owned by Tammie Merril and Jon Heath, according to property records. Neither could be reached for comment at the time of publication.
The second-alarm fire brought in firefighters from Andover, Boscawen, Concord, Franklin, Hopkinton, Penacook, Warner, Webster and Wilmot.
“Without the help and support of our mutual aid partners, we wouldn’t have been as successful as we were,” Nixon said.
