Concord laundromat closes after fire

A fire that broke out Sunday morning at a laundromat in Concord has forced the business to close until it is repaired.

Just after 8:30 a.m., the Concord Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at Youngs Cleaners laundromat located at 69 Manchester Street. 

John Chisholm, Concord Fire Chief, said the fire likely began in the drum of a dryer that was being used by someone whose occupation involves working with chemicals.

“They deal with a lot of solvents, and there may have been just solvents of some kind still in their work clothes that ended up catching fire,” said Chisholm. “The fire damaged a couple of dryers and then got into the wall behind the dryers, and then a little bit into the room behind the wall.”

The cause of the fire was ruled accidental.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze quickly, but crews opened sections of the wall and ceiling to ensure the fire had not spread or continued smoldering out of sight.

While the building itself was not destroyed, the laundromat remains closed and will not reopen until restoration and renovation work are completed.

The owner declined to comment.

The incident was one of 22 calls the Concord Fire Department responded to on Sunday, as a winter storm hit the area. 

Chisholm said the calls ranged across a mix of issues and were typical for a normal day, though snow-covered roads affected some response times.

In preparation for the challenging conditions, the Concord Fire Department has added an extra engine and ambulance, along with additional staff to operate those vehicles. 

Snow plows were also placed on standby to help clear access for emergency vehicles when needed and assist crews by shoveling or spreading sand.

“It’s to make sure that if any plowing needs to be done, so crews get access for the call and then an extra set of hands to deal with either carrying or shoveling or salting walkways or stairs, just to ensure that nobody’s slipping or getting hurt,” Chisholm said.

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