PEMBROKE, N.H. --
A massive, four-alarm fire spotted at about 3:30 pm Saturday destroyed a large colonial home with an addition the size of another separate ranch home. It also claimed two sheds, a 15-stall barn, plus an SUV and box truck parked on one large piece of rural property at 441 Sixth Range Road in Pembroke, N.H.
An investigator said the fire remained out of control as of early evening Saturday and had spread to nearby brush.
By 4 p.m., the whole (home) was on fire," Deputy Chief Paul Gagnon of the Pembroke Fire Department said. "The blaze engulfed the barn, the trees were on fire, the lawn was on fire, and it was just one giant fireball."
"When you're getting calls from Dunbarton and Loudon, telling you you've got a fire, you know you've got a pretty big fire on your hands before you even get here," said Gagnon.
Firefighters from across the region were called to the scene.
Early Saturday evening, there were no estimates on the extent of the damage.
Approximately 700 to 2,000 gallons of water were trucked in to fight the fire.
The four people who live at the now destroyed property were not home at the time of the fire, but their three dogs were. They were able to escape with help from fast-acting neighbors.
"I could see the barn and I could hear the animals yipping and screaming and I'm like, 'We got to get the animals... somehow open that barn up,'" said Donna Quinzani, who rescued the dogs.
One dog named Roxy was badly burned.
"And then the other dog came out on fire, so we were patting out (the dog's fur) and the dog started rolling in the ground, yipping (and) screaming," said Quinzani.
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