Firefighters Battle Spreading 7-to-10-Acre Remote Woodland Fire Through the Night in Merrimack County

Chichester, NH - Firefighters from the Chichester Fire Department and numerous Capital Area mutual aid agencies operated through the night and over the following day to contain a rapidly expanding 7-to-10-acre woodland fire in remote terrain off Lovejoy Road in Merrimack County.

The incident began around 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026, when the Loudon Fire Department was initially dispatched to the terminus of Lovejoy Road in Merrimack County to investigate reports of an outside fire. Arriving Loudon units encountered an active, multi-acre wildland fire burning and spreading through heavily wooded, difficult-to-access terrain.

Due to the size of the burn and the remote topography, incident commanders struck a 2nd Alarm forestry assignment, bringing numerous Capital Area mutual aid departments to the scene to establish containment perimeters while additional companies provided station coverage for depleted districts across Merrimack County.

Chichester Fire-Rescue responded to the staging area with Forestry 2 and a specialized off-road utility task vehicle (UTV). Chichester crews operated deep in the timber until approximately 2:00 a.m. Sunday before clearing. The following morning, Chichester personnel and apparatus redeployed to the scene, spending the entire daylight period dousing deep-seated hotspots, trenching perimeters, and working alongside host units to bring the 7-to-10-acre burn—exceptionally large for the area—under control.

Loudon Fire Department personnel will continue routine patrols and thermal monitoring of the burn area over the coming days.