Meriden
Charles Mhlauri, his wife, Thembi, their four children and two guests were inside the Penniman House when the fire broke out in an attached shed after 4 a.m., said Head of School Michael Schafer.
Everyone made it out safely.
“We are so relieved that no one was injured — including the fire department personnel and first responders, many of whom are local friends and work with our students on the KUA Fire Brigade,” Schafer said.
The situation could have been much worse, Meriden Fire Chief Frank Currier said. Though the home was equipped with smoke detectors, they were “not functional” at the time of the fire, according to Currier.
At least one person inside the home was awake, smelled smoke, alerted the rest of the residents and called 911, according to Currier.
“It could have been a totally different story,” he said.
KUA Communications Director Sarah Moore said she was “very surprised” to hear that the smoke detectors were faulty. She said the academy contracts with outside companies to perform twice-a-year inspections.
“We have extensive procedures for fire inspections,” Moore said. “We are very conscientious about fire safety.”
The fire is believed to have started in or around a trash can that was in a small shed that adjoins the house with a large barn.
An investigation into why the fire started is underway, Currier said. An investigator from the Office of the State Fire Marshal is aiding in that investigation.
Currier was one of the first people on the scene and said the shed and barn were fully engulfed in flames when he arrived at the Route 120 home.
He said crews tried to save the front portion of the house by knocking down flames as they moved to the main living space, but the fire spiraled out of control.
“It got up in the attic and we didn’t stand a chance,” Currier said. “It was pretty much a done deal at that point.”
The chief called the fire under control several hours after it broke out. He deemed the building a total loss. KUA sporting equipment that was housed in the barn was also destroyed, including motorized vehicles.
The Mhlauris will stay in another KUA property while officials make long-term arrangements for them, Schafer said. The family has resided in the home for about 5 years. Two of the Mhlauris’ children attend area grade schools, while a third goes to KUA. Their oldest child graduated from KUA and is in college, Schafer said.
“Right now, their emotional safety and the uneasiness of the dislocation and distress are first and foremost our concern,” Schafer said. “Many in the town have already reached out to offer assistance; we are so fortunate to be in such caring school and extended communities.”
Charles Mhlauri is a prominent figure in soccer, both in the Upper Valley and internationally. He is Lightning Soccer’s coaching director, and the club is working to assist the family. He is the former coach of the Zimbabwe national team, his native country. He has coached some of the world’s top soccer athletes.
The Penniman House, once called the Penniman Cottage, dates back to 1790, according to the academy. The structure is assessed at about $160,000, according to town property records.
Schafer said it is too soon to predict what the school will do with the property.
“In addition to it being a faculty home for as long as most can remember, it was an important campus icon,” Schafer said. “Many of our alumni will remember it as a kind of gateway to the campus and members of the town see it daily as a village cornerstone.”
The home’s attached barn and shed are gone, and all that is left of the residence are its charred remains.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.