‘Wet Wood’ Causes Smoke Condition Inside Building In Homeless Camp At Concord’s Healy Park

CONCORD, NH — Concord fire and rescue teams, along with police and state troopers, were sent to another homeless camp fire in William Healy Memorial Park on Tuesday.

Around 3:15 p.m., capital region fire dispatch and police began receiving calls about heavy smoke filtering out onto Interstate 93 in the area of Exit 13 and Exit 14. Concord firefighters headed to the area after receiving a report of smoke near the Fairfield Inn on Gulf Street. When they arrived, however, they could not find a fire.

Later, a police watch commander told officers an employee with the city’s general services department reported the smoke between the two exits on the northbound side of the Interstate. A Merrimack County Sheriff’s Department deputy also offered assistance.

The first arriving officer confirmed the fire was at a homeless camp near Mile Marker 37.5. The officer told dispatch the fire was “inside a building” and the homeless campers would “take care of the smoke.” The two campers were cleared on warrant checks. Because the logs were wet, the campers had issues getting their fire started.

“It’s just a little bonfire with wet wood,” the officer said. “They are going to put it out.”

Around 3:30 p.m., the officer canceled the sheriff’s deputy, and firefighters confirmed the fire was being self-extinguished. The officers also double-checked the rest of the park to ensure no other fires were at the homeless camps and cleared the scene.

News 603 posted a video on Facebook.

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