Vending Machine Causes Fire at Merrimack County Superior Courthouse

Fire investigators have determined that a blaze this morning at the Merrimack County Superior Courthouse on North Main Street was caused by a vending machine, according to a press statement.

According to a report, Concord Fire and Rescue teams were sent to the building around 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2015, for an alarm activation. When they arrived, they found smoke in the building and active sprinklers in the vending machine room on the first floor.

“The building was closed and secure at the time of the fire,” according to Max Schultz, the assistant director of the state fire marshal’s office. “Fire damage was contained to the vending machine room and there is some smoke and water damage to other parts of the building.”

Local and state fire officials along with the BATF conducted a joint investigation and determined that the cause was a vending machine.

State Fire Marshal J. William Degnan added in a press statement that fire sprinklers kept the fire from becoming larger and endangering firefighters. They save lives and property, he stated.