Jan. 9—Saturday night's fire in downtown Keene caused more than $1 million in estimated damage, leaving the two-story building and its contents a total loss, Keene fire officials said Sunday.
The blaze at the building at 151 Main St., which contains Cobblestone Alehouse, apartments and other businesses, was reported just after 10 p.m., Keene Fire Chief Mark Howard said.
Just after 11 p.m., it was upgraded to a fifth alarm, according to a Sunday news release from the city's fire department.
The initial call came in as a report of fire in the bar and restaurant's fryolator, Howard said Saturday night.
It took firefighters about seven hours to get the fire under control, and a small crew remained on scene all day Sunday on fire-watch to monitor any rekindling, Howard told The Sentinel Sunday morning.
Two Keene firefighters who were part of the initial company responding to the call suffered minor burns and were taken to Cheshire Medical Center, Howard said. They were discharged within a few hours, he said Sunday morning.
Three people were on the second floor at the time of the fire, according to Sunday's news release.
One of them became disoriented and could not find her way out of the building, prompting her to call 9-1-1, Howard said. Firefighters were able knock enough of the fire down to enter, and found her by using a thermal-imaging camera, Howard said. She was rescued from the building within 20 minutes of the fire's start, according to Howard, and taken to Cheshire Medical Center for smoke inhalation.
On Sunday morning, structural engineers and city officials were at the scene to assess the aftermath, Howard said. An investigation is underway, which includes an assessment of where the fire is believed to have originated on the first floor.
The building had a functioning fire alarm system that alerted people inside of the fire, Howard said.
Fire departments from Swanzey, Marlborough, Chesterfield, Jaffrey, Spofford, Peterborough, Walpole, as well as the Vermont communities of Brattleboro, Putney and Bellows Falls and Westminster, assisted at the scene, according to Sunday's news release. Personnel from Southwest District Fire Mutual Aid and DiLuzio Ambulance were also on-site to help.
Anyone with information related to the fire is asked to contact Keene Fire Capt. John Bates at 757-1863 or via email [email protected].
Molly Bolan can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BolanMolly.
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