By GEOFF CUNNINGHAM Jr.

Staff Writer

ALTON — Occupants of a burning house in a remote section of town were able to flee unharmed before the two-story dwelling was destroyed in a three-alarm fire shortly before midnight Tuesday.

While nobody was injured in the fire, it kept crews busy for more than five hours as they worked to bring necessary water up the dead-end road and to the burning home.

Fire officials have yet to determine a cause for the fire and, as of mid-morning, had not released the names of those living in the home.

However, officials say that three adults are believed have occupied the residence.

The blaze occurred at a home at the very end of Reed Road, which was located off of Route 11A near the Alton-Gilford town line.

The fire was reported at approximately midnight and summoned fire crews from several surrounding communities.

Units from Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Gilford, Gilmanton, Farmington, Laconia, New Durham, Strafford and Wolfeboro all responded to the scene.

Alton Fire Chief Russell Sample said that the first units arriving found half the home to be completely ablaze.

The home that burned was a two-story residence that had several L-shaped wings and a two-stall garage located on the first floor.

Sample said that it took crews approximately 45-50 minutes to bring the fire under control.

"When we arrived we found heavy fire in the basement of the building," he said.

Dozens of firefighters worked for hours to attack the blaze from several different sides of the home, including the roof where hoses were directed down and into the heart of the flames.

Several tankers were called to the scene to provide water and more than half-mile of hose had to be use to reach the home — the second to last before the road’s dead-end.

More than one portion of the structure was burned to a point were it collapsed.

Flames could be seen shooting out from a large hole in the home’s roof at one point. When the smoke began to clear later, all that remained of one portion of the residence was a stone fireplace.

"There was extensive damage to the home," said Sample.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Greater White Mountain Chapter of the American Red Cross has contacted those living in the home to offer shelter, clothing and other support.