When crews from the capital area arrived at the home around 7 p.m., the garage and second floor in-law apartment were engulfed in flames and the fire was about 40 feet into the main section of the home, Wiggin said. Neighbors abutting the property noticed the fire and called it in.

Seven other members of the family living in the home — three adults and four girls — were out to dinner at a restaurant in Concord when the fire broke out. The family’s tenant was out of town.

“It’s an old building, built in the 1700s. We had to open the halls and the ceilings up,” Wiggin said. “Overhaul extended until about 11:30 p.m.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Dunbarton Fire Department was assisted by fire crews from Goffstown, Bedford, Concord, Hopkinton, Bow, Henniker, Warner, Weare, Webster and Chichester. While crews were fighting the fire, many towns were called to respond to a second fire in Warner, including trucks from Dunbarton.

The home was deemed uninhabitable due to smoke, heat and water damage. The family is staying at a hotel in Concord. The property isn’t a total loss, but it will be a while before the family can return, Wiggin said.

According to town property records, the five-bedroom home is owned by Sarah and Joseph Andrews. They bought the home in 2014 for $290,000.

The home, built by the Stark family in 1785, was first owned by Caleb Stark, son of Revolutionary War General John Stark. There are still several family members in Dunbarton related to the original Stark family, Wiggin said.