MANCHESTER, NH – The city Fire Marshal’s office has issued a report citing the cause of the March 26 fire at 85 Dartmouth St. to be accidental and the result of careless smoking.
The 2-alarm fire gutted the residence, causing $450,000 in damages and rendering the home uninhabitable, according to Deputy Fire Marshal John Reese.
Fire crews were dispatched just before 7 p.m. after a neighbor reported the blaze. It took about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control, according to Reese.
The investigation showed that “careless disposal of smoking materials” on the first-floor porch ignited the blaze.