A two-alarm fire left a Belmont family homeless after the blaze consumed their Durrell Mountain Road residence. Officials described the building as a total loss.

Nine departments were involved in fighting the fire at its height.

The fire broke out shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday when a Stafford Oil truck driver passing by reported the blaze. The two people inside the house at the time did not immediately notice the fire, but by the time Belmont companies arrived on scene the female homeowner and her son were both out of the house.

Belmont Fire Chief James Davis said there was some concern about the safety of the occupants, particularly since the woman is legally blind.

Upon arriving at the scene, Laconia Fire Chief Kenneth Erickson found the woman wandering around outside. He then brought her to safety. Her son also made it out of the house. However, fire officials were still seeking him out as he left the scene before he could be questioned.

Belmont and Laconia firefighters who first arrived had to contend with limited manpower for a time. But they were able to quickly direct a steady stream of water on the burning home from Belmont's 2,500-gallon tanker truck. When additional manpower from other departments arrived, they laid 1,800 feet of hose to supply water to the scene from a fire pond off Cotton Hill Road.

"The Laconia and Belmont fire responders did an outstanding job," Davis said.

Firefighters said if the initial alarm had come in 10 or 15 minutes later the Belmont department's new aerial ladder truck might have been unavailable because it was about to be taken out of service for maintenance.

Davis explained that the new engine was scheduled to have some work done under warranty and just as it was being taken out of commission the call came in.

Alan MacRae/for the Citizen FIREFIGHTERS WORK to cut a vent hole in the roof of a Durrell Mountain Road home in Belmont at the height of a three-alarm blaze on Wednesday morning. Click here to view Foster's prints for sale

"We were close to not being able to use it, but we put it back together," said Davis.

Using the tower truck, firefighters were able to put vent holes in the roof, which aided in extinguishing the flames. However the blaze still consumed the home, spreading from the main house into the garage.

At this time the cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation by the Belmont Fire Department.

The fire did go to a third alarm. But officials on the scene explained that was done to summon extra personnel and was called off after the brunt of the flames were extinguished. Because of the heat, firefighters battling the blaze quickly became exhausted.

"The guys were pretty much spent," said Davis.

All told, Tilton-Northfield, Gilford, Franklin, Gilmanton, Alton, Barnstead and Meredith helped fight the fire, while Sanbornton, Loudon and Meredith EMS provided station coverage. Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid coordinated communications at the scene.