Industrial Park Fire Hampered by Snow-Buried Hydrant

Submitted by Nashua Fire Department:

Engine 5 (Pine Hill Road Station), Engine  1 (Amherst Street Station), and Ladder 1 (Amherst Street Station) responded to 2 Townsend West, Unit 4, for a report of alarms in the building.  During the course of the investigation, Ladder 1 located an odor of smoke accompanied by water flowing from unit #4 (Business name: Industrial Distributors) of the multi-tenant building.

Companies forced entry into the building and encountered a heavy smoke condition within the unit.  Engine 1 provided water supply to Engine 5 as companies stretched hand lines into the building to locate the source of the fire.  Ladder 1 located the fire which had been contained but not fully extinguished by the building's sprinkler system.  Engine 5 completed extinguishment of the fire.  A search of the building found it to be clear of any fire extension beyond the room of origin as well as any occupants/victims. 

Several adjacent occupancies were ventilated of light smoke which had communicated to their tenant space. 

The Nashua Fire Marshal's office is currently investigating the cause and origin of the fire.  

Special Hazards Encountered:  Establishing water supply was delayed due to the primary hydrant being buried in snow.  The hydrant in this area had not yet been cleared of snow due to the recent 2 storms.  While Nashua Fire Rescue makes every effort to clear the hydrants after storms, this process can take several days.  Area residents and business owners are encouraged to clear the hydrant in the area of their home and businesses.  In addition to making the hydrant readily available, clearing your hydrant of snow can also spot potential problems such as hydrant that have been damaged or broken off by plows (rendering the hydrant useless).  In a fire situation, every second counts.  Please help us protect your life and property by clearing your local hydrant after each storm.  Thank you to the many residents who take this initiative.