10 Years Ago Today Fire Destroys Block on Hampton Beach

February 26, 2010, firefighters were called to the Surf Hotel on Hampton Beach.  The five alarm fire destroyed most of the block.

According to a report from WMUR, 125 firefighters, including some from Maine and Massachusetts, were called in to help, but many departments were already stretched with other weather related emergencies, such as fallen trees and transformer fires.

The region had recorded its strongest wind gust during the storm at about the same time that the fire was reported.  Winds clocked in at 68 MPH, just below hurricane force winds, making putting out the fire difficult.  If you've ever been to Hampton Beach on a stormy day, you may have felt winds half that speed that were making huge waves along the coast.

As awful as this fire was for the building owners, it could have been worse.  People could have lost their lives, but no one did in this fire, thank goodness.

Watch the full video from WMUR archives from YouTube: