Northern Lakes Region Bureau

MEREDITH – A child playing with a cigarette lighter accidentally started a fire that tore through a five-unit apartment building on Thursday leaving five families homeless.

Don Suitter said he was in his daughter’s second-floor apartment at 46 Plymouth St. with his grandson, who turned five on Thursday. Suitter recounted walking into a bedroom and seeing the youngster on the opposite side of the bedroom holding a lighter, and the bed was on fire.

Suitter grabbed the boy around the waist and ran out of the three-story building located directly behind the Cumberland Farms store.

Meredith Police Detective Sergeant Glenn Rollins said he was just walking into the convenience store to speak with the manager when a man approached him and said he thought the building out back was on fire.

Rollins went outside to investigate and as he rounded the corner, saw flames shooting from a window on the second floor. The smoke was so intense, Rollins said, he was unable to make it to the landing on the second floor.

"If there had been anybody in there it would have been too late," Rollins said. He kicked-in the door on one of two ground floor apartments to make sure no one was inside, but was unable to make it to the second floor.

Rollins said he was trying to radio for help when he heard Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Dispatching call firefighters to the scene.

"I could see a big black column of smoke as I was heading down Route 3," said Meredith resident Everette Duren, who was among those who arrived to see if they could help.

Eva Suitter, who works as a clerk at the Cumberland Farms store and was working when the fire broke out, said she and her husband and two children have lived in the building for four years. As she fought back tears, she said the arrangement had been ideal because she could walk to work and had found a baby-sitter.

Shawn Minor of Laconia, who said he had leased the building from his father, Don, said he was grateful no one was hurt. He said the bulk of the tenants have children.

"If it had to happen, it was a good time, when the kids are at school and people are working," he said.

"I feel so bad for the tenants. It is so hard to find a place to live," he said.

He and his brother now collectively lease 80 units from their father, and don’t have a single vacancy.

The building covered in green vinyl siding and black shutters had two apartments on the ground floor, two on the second and one on the third. Minor said he’d reconfigured the third floor apartment last fall to give the tenant another bedroom. All of the apartments had two bedrooms. He believed his father had owned the building for about 20 years.

While the property was insured, Minor said it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a company willing to underwrite a policy on a wood frame multi-unit building.

"If we can rebuild we will rebuild," he said as he watched firefighters smash out the remaining windows of the building. All of the building suffered substantial fire, smoke and water damage.

After battling the blaze for a little more than an hour the fire flared through the roof, prompting Meredith Fire Chief Chuck Palm ordered an "all clear" horn sounded alerting firefighters to leave the building.

Palm praised the efforts of medical crews from Stewarts Ambulance Service who stayed at the scene throughout the day.

"They worked hard to keep everybody healthy," he said.

John Cook, the owner of Mame’s Restaurant, said Trish McLaughlin, a veteran waitress at the Plymouth Street eatery, was a tenant in the building.

Within minutes of learning that fire had ruined the bulk of the tenants belongings, Cook was on his cell phone calling a local bank to make arrangements to set up a special account to accept donations to help McLaughlin get back on her feet. Cook said money can be deposited in the Trish McLaughlin Fire Fund at Meredith Village Savings Bank.

Police identified the other tenants in the building as Evelyn Gunning, Sara Donohue and Cornelius Sanborn. The Greater White Mountain Chapter of the American Red Cross based in Laconia sent representatives to the scene to assist the families in finding temporary housing and other necessities.

Shelley Proulx, manager for the Red Cross, estimated it would cost the agency $2,000 - $3,000 to provide shelter, food and clothing to the victims. The chapter’s service area has experienced a substantial drain on its resources in recent months as a result of a series of fires.

"We’re not even into the (heating) season yet," she said. People willing to help can send donations to the Red Cross at 21 Lyford St., Laconia, or can call the chapter at 524-5414 and provide their credit card information.