A New Hampshire barn fire at Scamman Farm damaged a historic Stratham property, with 300 chickens killed in the blaze.
New Hampshire Barn Fire at Scamman Farm burned down part of it
According to the report at 10:52 p.m. Monday, Bruce Scamman heard the news that a massive barn at his parents' 208-acre Bittersweet Farm was already on fire. The roofs had already fallen when he reached the place at 69 Portsmouth Ave. a few minutes later, he reported NECN.
When he got there, he remarked how fast the flames consumed the structure.
Kirk Scamman, who is part of the family-owned farming operation, his parents, Doug and Stella Scamman, were unscathed and were recovering at his home on Frying Pan Lane with his son Kyle, who also stays on the farm, noted NBC Boston.
According to him, approximately 300 chickens were lost in the blaze, though three goats were unharmed.
He thought that it was too early to tell what effect the fire might have on the farming activity because the land was still covered in dense smoke.
Despite the devastation wrought by the fire on the barn, the old house standing since 1836 was not touched by the flames.
The property's oldest structure, a free-standing English barn existing from 1750, had minor damage to it but nothing more, but the brothers said they thought it would survive the damage and can be restored with enough work. Some of the buildings in the New Hampshire barn fire at Scamman Farm can be fixed, noted the
Sources say the family farm was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. According to earlier reports on the farm's historical significance, the barn that was destroyed in the fire was an old four-story cow barn that also goes back to the mid-1800s.
Bruce indicated the old barn, which was 40 feet by 80 feet, was primarily used for storage at the time, with some tools such as chain saws and other supplies used for pumpkin cultivation and the corn maze in the fall being ruined. The barn would have been used to store hay later in the season.
The flames, which shut down traffic on Route 108 for a few hours last Monday night and into Tuesday morning, mobilized fire departments from all around the Seacoast. In the many decades that Bruce's family has run the iconic farm on Portsmouth Avenue, he claims this will be the fourth barn fire on the grounds.
Water was pumped in from Stratham Circle, and tanker trucks of several towns were also used to help put out the flames because Stratham does not have water lines on Portsmouth Avenue. Most of the firemen were fighting the blaze till 1 a.m.
Bruce said that as long as his parents and Kyle are okay, it's what's important. He made a post on Facebook, knowing his family was safe.
"Everyone is healthy, including our family!" Kirk wrote. "I thank everyone's kind words, and I especially thank all of the firefighters who put their lives on the line."
Stratham, Exeter, Brentwood, Greenland, Portsmouth, Lee, Newmarket, South Hampton, Epping, and Rye were among the fire departments.
Emergency services at the New Hampshire Barn Fire at Scamman Farm were able to help preserve the other buildings.
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