A home at 86 Mountain Road in Greenfield burned to the ground in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 14.
The Greenfield Fire Department was the first on the scene at around 12:20 a.m., and the fire was soon upgraded to a second alarm.
According to the Greenfield Fire Chief Chaz Babb, the home’s resident, Ted Bonner, escaped from the fire with no injuries. Bonner was able to take shelter in his vehicle before walking to a neighbor’s house to report the fire.
Bonner, 90, is well known in Greenfield as the creator of the Ted’s Trail and Carolyn’s Trail network on North Pack Mountain. Bonner Falls, in the North Pack National Wildlife Refuge, is named in his honor.
According to the Greenfield Fire Department, Bonner is now staying with neighbors.
Mutual aid from Bennington, Peterborough, Francestown, Lyndeborough, Antrim, Hancock, Wilton, Milford, Temple and New Boston responded to the fire. Antrim and Hancock sent additional tankers to the scene, and cover trucks were dispatched from Mont Vernon and Jaffrey.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Peterborough Fire Chief Ed Walker, who was at the scene, said the house was “pretty already burnt to the ground” before any fire departments were dispatched.
“It was a pile of burning rubble by the time we got there,” Walker said.
Justin Dole of Southwest New Hampshire Alerts and Info, who was at the scene for the duration, said the American Red Cross responded to the fire at 3:30 a.m. and provided assistance and refreshments to firefighters.