There was a local fire the morning of April 26, on Fairbanks Street. Neither of two occupants were harmed and both are being investigated as to how the fire started, according to Fire Chief Mark Howard.
Howard said, “Upon arrival the garage was fully involved. A second alarm was requested because of the exposures that we had on the two sides of the building.”
Howard said they controlled the original fire, and that they are still unclear on how it started. “There was a full recall of all Keene fire units along with Brattleboro and Swanzey…[there] were multiple communities, Walpole, Jaffrey, Peterborough and Spofford, covering these two city stations,” Howard said.
Local resident Heidi Heisler, who also lives on Fairbanks Street, said the fire signal woke her up as the truck traveled down the street. “I woke up and said ‘wait a minute, they sound like they’re right next to me,’” she explained.
She said she spoke with a neighbor and found out the fire was started by a man down the street who works on Harley motorcycles. “He was working on a motorcycle…in the garage…and there was some gas on the floor; I guess it ignited,” she said.
Heisler said the man is an acquaintance she often speaks to on her walks around the neighborhood.
She said it was frightening to be woken up by sirens.
According to the City of Keene website, the mission of the Keene Fire Department is to provide levels of excellence in emergency, prevention, education and community services in order to minimize loss of life and property damage due to fire, hazardous materials, medical and other emergencies in an efficient, professional and fiscally responsible manner.
Dorothy England can be contacted at dengland@kscequinox.com
