State authorities are investigating a fire that broke out early Sunday at the former Laconia state school property, according to officials.
The fire started around 3 a.m., burning down a three-story building on the property. The initial crews that arrived on the scene requested aid from other fire departments around the Lakes Region, according to Laconia Fire Chief Jim Joubert.
“[The fire is] under investigation because the building was abandoned,” Joubert said. ‘There was no power. There was no utilities. So the fire just didn’t start by itself.”
But Joubert said it may prove challenging to gather much more information because of the extent of the damage. State authorities are now leading the investigation.
Joubert said that no one was harmed while fighting the fire and that, because the property was vacant, crews focused on containing it from outside the building, rather than risking sending anyone inside. It took crews about two hours to get the fire under control, he said.
The 217-acre parcel was purchased by Pillsbury Realty Development in 2024 after the state had struggled to sell the property for years. Other buildings on the property are also abandoned.
These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.