Red, white and blue banners flapping from their grills, Canaan and Enfield’s fire departments were simultaneously dispatched to calls during the Enfield’s Memorial Day parade.
Fire Chief Phil Neily, behind the wheel mid-parade, took the first call. His and three other Enfield engines peeled off the route in response to a lawn mower fire at a private residence near Grafton Pond.
Minutes later, the smoke detector triggered the fire alarm system in Jake’s Market & Deli on Route 4. The parade had just turned onto Main Street after the ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery, a half mile from the gas station.
Canaan’s Fire Chief John Hennessey, driving the department’s command vehicle, left the route with Canaan’s four engines and ambulance, as employees ushered customers out of the store.
The parking lot was packed with customers and parade onlookers, trucks with boat trailers and motorcycles filling tanks with gas. Enfield police continued directing traffic at the intersection just feet away.
Jake’s employee and Enfield resident Caden Brown described the chaotic scene before the firefighters arrived. “People were still trying to come in, even as the fire alarm was going off,” he said. “They were bouncing off the doors.”
With everyone safely evacuated to the parking lot and owner Bruce Bergeron on site, Canaan’s team conducted a full investigation, climbing to the roof to check exhaust levels and the functionality of the exhaust system.
Though the exact cause was not determined, Hennessey said it was “probably from cooking in the kitchen. The exhaust fan might not have been on high. We checked the building and everything is OK.”
As notes from the Mascoma Valley Regional High School band wafted from the ongoing parade, drivers continued to fill up their tanks, and by 11:45 a.m, the building was declared safe and open for business as usual.
Enfield and Canaan’s fire departments frequently cover calls from both towns, but rarely are both dispatched in the middle of the annual parade. “We’re sorry we couldn’t finish the parade for you guys,” lamented one Enfield firefighter.