March 20--MIDDLETON -- An electrical failure in the early morning hours on Tuesday caused a fire that destroyed two buildings of Middleton Lumber Supply, at 5 Kings Highway.
The two-alarm fire, reported around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday by a plow truck driver, started in a building that housed machinery and resaw, which is used for cutting and bundling wood.
By the time firefighters arrived to the scene, the blaze had already begun spreading to a second building, which housed sawdust, said interim Fire Chief Jeff Roub.
"Both buildings are a total loss," said Roub, who added the two buildings are connected to each other by a wall.
With multiple fire departments responding, the blaze took about an hour to bring under control. The first building had completely burned down, said Roub, and fire officials used an excavator to tear down the second building as a safety precaution. The excavator was also used to clean up debris, he said.
After the incident, the Fire Marshal's Office determined that the fire was caused by an electrical failure, said Roub.
The total size of the two buildings is approximately 1,200 square feet, and damage to the two structures is estimated at $250,000.
Fire departments from Wakefield, Farmington, Milton, Wolfeboro, and Rochester responded to the incident.
Copyright 2013 - Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.
