You wouldn’t expect a gas station to spark fond feelings, but Heavens Gas, an unmanned gas station in Dunbarton, has become indispensable to locals.

“I love this gas station! I love it because there is nobody here,” Nancy Fraize said as she filled up her tank on Wednesday morning.

Nancy moved to Dunbarton five years ago and has been a regular ever since.

“If Dunbarton didn’t have this gas station, we would have a lot of people running out of gas, because by the time we got to Concord, the next gas station, we’re not going to make it,” she said.

Located at the intersection of Stark Highway North and Winslow Road, this small gas station, with only two pumps, provides an essential service for residents who would otherwise have to drive to nearby communities like Concord to fuel up.

While unattended gas stations like Heavens Gas are rare in New Hampshire, they must adhere to specific regulations set by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to ensure safety.

One of the requirements is the presence of an emergency stop button at each pump island. If a customer notices a leak, fire or spill, pressing the button immediately cuts power to the pump, preventing the situation from escalating.

Additionally, an emergency telephone or another approved communication system must be available for customers to call the fire department if needed. A leak monitoring system with emergency instructions should also be available.

Heavens Gas wasn’t always unmanned.

Abby Alexakos, 19, who grew up in Dunbarton, remembers when there was a corner store that offered a variety of supplies, much like any other gas station store, before it transitioned to its current format.

Hammad Zaka, the owner of Heavens Gas, operates four locations — two in Manchester, and one each in Bedford and Dunbarton. Since taking over the Dunbarton station in 2012, Zaka opted to keep it unmanned.

Unlike his other locations, which feature staffed stores, he decided the town’s small population of around 3,000 wouldn’t sustain a profitable business with a full-service store.

“There’s not enough people in town to run it as a profitable business,” said Zaka. “So it’s basically if somebody’s driving by they can get the gas and that’s about it.”

However, Zaka also owns Page’s Country Store and Deli, just a mile away, at an intersection connecting Hopkinton, Concord and Weare.

In newer unattended self-service gas stations, automatic fire suppression systems are mandatory. These systems deploy a chemical agent to control fires and send an alarm to local fire officials. Some systems can even shut off the fuel supply automatically.

“I would say it’s always kind of probably better if you have someone there who is knowledgeable of what they have in the ground or above ground and they can act appropriately,” said Matt Jones, oil compliance, and enforcement subsection chief at the environmental state agency. “Probably a lot quicker than maybe someone else who’s maybe just might be filling up there.”

Despite being unmanned, Heavens Gas in Dunbarton has had few safety issues, thanks to a 24/7 monitored camera system.

“It’s a pretty safe operation,” said Jon Wiggin, Dunbarton’s fire chief. “We’ve had very few calls over the years.”

In the last four to five years, the Dunbarton fire department has only been called to the gas station about six times, and none were due to major issues.

Open 24/7, Heavens Gas in Dunbarton, despite occasional operational hiccups, has remained a crucial town fixture, serving residents even during emergencies.

“I don’t know where the closest one would be if we didn’t have this,” said Alexakos.