New Hampshire blaze calls for all mutual aid
A five-alarm fire that completely destroyed a five-story textile mill and threatened two business districts was brought under control by 28 fire companies responding from 15 New Hampshire towns, which make up the state’s Capital Area Mutual Aid Compact.
Pembroke’s 113-year-old Webster mill, idle for four years, was totally involved in flames within five minutes after the first alarm was called in at 11:30 p.m. Alarm boxes from both Pembroke and neighboring Allenstown were sounded.
Four engines from the Pembroke Fire Department, under the command of Chief jacob Chase, and four engines from the Allenstown Fire Department arrived on the scene at 11:35 p.m. A command post was set up at the north end of the mill.
Initial action called for protecting exposed mercantile and apartment buildings to the north and east of the mill with master streams. The exposures to the west were separated from the mill by the Suncook River and were covered by incoming companies.
The town’s central water system, which is supplied by two artesian wells, a million-gallon storage tank and a 1300-gpm piping system, could not furnish all the water needed to battle the blaze. A draft site was set up 1300 feet east of the mill and two engines (1200 and 1000 gpm) stretched 4-inch lines. At the height of the incident, 10,000 gpm were poured onto the fire through 15,000 feet of 4-inch hose.
By 12:05 am, six guns and two ladder pipes were operating on the north and east sides of the mill and three pumpers were at the draft site with two more pumpers in line.
At 12:45 a m., four engines were directed to lay 4-inch lines to a draft site 2000 feet west of the mill as it became apparent that the west walls would collapse with a massive release of radiant heat. Sweeping streams of water met the mill’s falling wall. The worst was over.
Assistant Chief
