The Common Man in Windham is closed indefinitely after a fire gutted the ceiling and roof of the popular local eatery.
Indications of trouble first arose around 12:47 Saturday afternoon when a restaurant employee reported smoke coming from ithe ventilation system and possibly the roof.
Common Man employees were instructed to leave the building immediately as Windham Fire and Police Departments were dispatched to the scene.
Though first responders from Salem and Windham failed to identify any visible signs of a blaze, firefighters continued to investigate using thermal imaging cameras and began removing smoke from the building.
Roughly 30 minutes into the process, fire broke out on the second floor of the 2.5-story timber structure, in the ceiling area just above a bathroom.
The fire quickly spread up into a concealed space above and through a section of the roof, prompting a second alarm to be sounded, bringing mutual aid into the scene to assist from Derry, Salem, Pelham, Hudson, Hampstead Nashua and Londonderry.
Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading inside with the use of hose streams while a ladder truck from Derry opened the roof above.
Due to the age of the building and the additional layers of roofing, firefighters were forced to do the bulk of the work to access the fire, from the roof, according to a Windham FD release.
Firefighters spent nearly an hour bringing the fire under control, and crews remained on scene hours after assisting with water removal and salvage operations.
The restaurant will remain closed indefinitely, and the fire remains under investigation by the Windham Fire Department.
No injuries were reported during the incident
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