No guests at facility at time

By MELANIE NELSON

Newfound Area Bureau

BRISTOL — The owners of the Whipple House Bed and Breakfast on Summer Street came home from shopping Thursday afternoon to discover their inn was on fire.

Deputy Fire Chief John Moyer said the blaze, which went to three alarms for the manpower needed in the overhaul stage, began in the back left corner of the attic.

Damage was contained to the attic and one bedroom.

Inn owner Sandra Heaney said she and her husband, Clay Dingman, were just about home when they came across a major traffic tie-up on their street.

"We were wondering what all the traffic was," said Heaney.

Deputy Chief Moyer said there is no indication as to how the fire got started. He noted it will be difficult to reconstruct because the foam and insulation which had been on fire was ripped out when firefighters had to saw a hole in the roof to vent the smoke.

Dingman said that while there were no guests in the inn at the time, they were booked solid for the weekend. Thursday was their check-in day and the two of them had been rushing back to make sure they were there in time as guests started to arrive.

Neither Dingman nor Heaney were greatly concerned about the damage. The couple said they are in the process of restoring the old Victorian house and would just have the workmen repair the damage while they are there.

"We’ll figure something out," he said.

Bristol firefighters laid down tarps on the carpeting to keep the damage at a minimum.

Summer Street is the main road into Bristol off Route 104. Police redirected traffic to Merrimack Street and through Central Square.

Firefighters from Ashland, Franklin, Danbury, Hebron and Alexandria were among those who responded to the fire.