LOUDON, N.H. --
Several dogs were burned and three are missing Saturday after a fire in Loudon destroyed a barn.
Firefighters, police officers and neighbors worked to free the dogs from the burning barn on Route 129. First responders rushed to free the dogs before the barn burned to the ground.
"I believe that most, if not all of them, got out of the fire," Capitol Area Fire Chief Dick Wright said. "In fact, some of our people let some of the animals out the back side of the barn. They were able to open the door and get them out."
"They're doing alright right now. Their tails are wagging. So, that's all we know," said Jason Crossman, an off-duty firefighter who lives nearby.
Three of eight beagles inside the structure when the fire ignited remained missing by the afternoon. All the family members were safe.
Neighbors told News 9 that the barn was consumed by a wall of fast-moving flames by the time fire crews arrived.
"It was out of control when I came by," said Dean Murray, a neighbor. "I pulled out of my house about a mile up, and I could see all the black smoke coming up in the sky. I said, 'That's a bad sign.'"
Fire crews from Loudon, Epsom and Chichester were training together Saturday morning just a few miles away when they heard the call come in. The quick response kept the flames away from the house.
Firefighters said the homeowner didn't even realize the barn was on fire until a passerby stopped to warn her. With the family safe, the focus turned to helping the injured animals.
"They'll take them to a vet, get all fixed up," Crossman said.
Authorities investigating a cause said they don't believe the fire is suspicious.
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