08/25/2026
At 3:39am, DFR was dispatched to a reported fully involved structure fire in the area of Faraway Rd and Mountain Rd in Dalton.
Mutual aid departments were also dispatched, including Whitefield Fire, Jefferson Fire, Lancaster Fire, Littleton Fire, and Lunenburg Fire.
Due to the distance of the scene from the Dalton station, Whitefield E3 was the first apparatus to arrive. Suppression efforts began on the fully involved structure as additional units arrived.
Shortly before 5:00am, the homeowner entered Whitefield's F550 rescue truck and suddenly drove around E3, nearly striking two firefighters and narrowly missed pinning a third firefighter between the two large trucks. They proceeded to crash into E3 and a small pickup, forcing their way onto the road ahead. Two charged hoses being used in suppression efforts were run over but luckily were undamaged. As the homeowner fled the scene they struck a firefighter's personal vehicle parked further down the road and damaged a neighboring property. NH State Police were notified and they were able to apprehend the subject a few miles away following further criminal activity.
Despite significant damage, Whitefield E3 was able to continue operating and the fire was extinguished. The house was a complete loss. The NH State Fire Marshall's office was called and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
We are extremely thankful that no firefighters were physically injured despite the close call.
We would like to thank all of our mutual aid partners for their support on this incident as well as NH State Police.
