Concord Firefighters Extinguish Fire At Historic Boston & Maine Signal Tower Near Homeless Camp

CONCORD, NH — Concord fire and rescue teams extinguished a fire at the historic Boston & Maine signal tower near the Water Street Bridge on Sunday night.

Just after 10:15 p.m., police dispatchers began receiving calls about a fire around CVS on Hall Street. The first caller did not know the exact location of the fire but said it might be near Sanel’s, on the other side of the railroad tracks, and the flames appeared to be getting “quite large.” Capital Region Fire Dispatch also received reports the fire was between South Main and Water streets.

“I’ve taken a couple of calls, reporting a fire,” dispatch said. “Some said it’s a building; some said it’s a shed.”

The callers also referenced the fire was seen from the area near the New Hampshire GOP Headquarters.

The first officer heading to the area confirmed a significant amount of smoke and stated they believed it was emanating from the vicinity of the signal tower. They confirmed it was the signal tower, right near a massive homeless camp underneath the Water Street Bridge, that was on fire a few seconds later.

“It’s probably going to go up pretty fast,” the officer said, while trying to shut down the southbound side of Water Street.

When firefighters arrived at Water Street, they realized they had to tackle the fire from Gas Street instead.

“There’s a pretty good fire in the basement level,” the commander said.

The commander instructed firefighters to be cautious since the last time they were in the building, it had contained propane tanks. They also requested contacting the railroad company about the fire and fire prevention.

The fire was knocked down and firefighters cleared the scene around 10:45 p.m.

News 603 posted a video of the historic building burning on its Facebook page.

The signal tower building in Concord was placed on the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Seven to Save list in October 2024.

The organization said, at the time:

“Because physical examples of railroad history and the intricacies of railroad operations are becoming increasingly rare, this tower’s pending demolition prompted a stronger grassroots opposition than would be expected for such a small building. Advocates are hoping its small size makes the rescue and reuse a manageable and doable project for dedicated partners working with its owner CSX Transportation. Possibilities for its reuse include office, exhibit and meeting space that will complement redevelopment underway in Concord’s south end, including the anticipated investment in the nearby historic Gasholder.”

Another signal tower along the Boston & Maine, in Manchester, was demolished in April 2024.

The cause of the fire is unknown at publication time.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.

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