Trapped by flames at the front door of their cottage located off Lucerne Avenue, the women decided to go out a bedroom window, said Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson. The older woman went first, he said, and when she got outside, the younger woman handed her the baby and then followed.

The three, whose names were not immediately available, suffered minor, non-life threatening injuries, Erickson said, and were transported by ambulance to Lakes Region General Hospital.

Investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s Office were expected to be on the scene later today to help determine the cause and point of origin of the fire which was reported around 1:39 a.m., ostensibly by the occupants, who then got out of the cottage unaided, said Erickson.

Laconia Fire Lt. Tim Woods, who was on duty at the Weirs Station a short distance away, was the first firefighter on the scene and immediately requested re-enforcements.

All off-duty Laconia personnel were called in. A second alarm also brought help from Gilford, Meredith, and Belmont.

The blaze was declared under control at 2:15 a.m., but the cottage was severely damaged. Its front decking had been burned away, nearly all items inside were destroyed, and what remained was just a shell of charred walls and beams.

The fire also spread to an adjacent cottage and caused significant damage to its exterior. Personnel entered the second cottage and also cut holes in its roof to check for extension. The heat from the fires melted and warped vinyl window shutters on a third cottage, but seemingly caused no other damage to it.