DERRY — A two-alarm fire, believed to be caused by a woodstove, heavily damaged an Island Pond Road home yesterday afternoon.
Although much of the house was spared fire damage, flames burned through the roof of a room attached to the two-story home. The fire appears to be linked to the woodstove and chimney in that room, according to fire Chief George Klauber.
As the roof burned, heavy black smoke could be seen as far away as Route 111. It took firefighters more than an hour to fully extinguish the blaze.
When firefighters arrived shortly before 3 p.m., only smoke was visible. But in a short time, flames started to consume the roof, which eventually collapsed.
A man who identified himself as the homeowner stood across the street and watched the flames. He said the fire was caused by the woodstove but denied to comment further.
"We were able to keep the fire away from the main body of the house," Klauber said.
Klauber said they received a 911 call and that the homeowner wasn't home at the time of the fire.
According to the town's assessing records, Frank Tomczykowski has owned the home since 1999. The 2,000-square-foot home is valued at $215,600.
A neighbor who lives across the street, Vicky Winan, said she didn't even see flames when she heard sirens just before 3 p.m.
Winan said Tomczykowksi lives alone and has spent a lot of time working on his home.
"That's all you ever see him doing is working on his house," Winan said.
Although the major fire damage was confined to the attic and second floor, the entire building received smoke and water damage.
Klauber said crews were delayed because a bridge on Island Pond Road is closed less than a half mile away. There is also no water available in the area, Klauber said.
Firefighters from Derry were prepared for the road closure but crews from out of town had to be given directions to the home.
Crews from Auburn, Manchester, Atkinson, Chester, Londonderry, Windham, Hampstead and Salem helped fight the blaze. Danville, Hooksett, Pelham and Raymond provided station coverage.
A firefighter was taken to Parkland Medical Center for treatment of a minor hand injury.
