A home on Century Lane in Litchfield caught fire early Tuesday morning. The body of homeowner Janet Gee, 62, was pulled from the wreckage after the fire was extinguished.
A home on Century Lane in Litchfield caught fire early Tuesday morning. The body of homeowner Janet Gee, 62, was pulled from the wreckage after the fire was extinguished.
State and local officials have identified the woman who died in a house fire Monday morning in Litchfield as Janet Gee, 62.
In a joint statement released by New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey, Litchfield Fire Chief Doug Nicoll and Litchfield Chief of Police Daniel Jones on Tuesday, Gee’s cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation while her manner of death is still pending.
The investigation into the origin and cause of the fire remains ongoing by members of the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office with the assistance of Litchfield fire and police departments.
Litchfield’s fire and police departments were called to 7 Century Lane at 8:03 a.m. when neighbors saw flames and heavy smoke coming from the single-family home. They told dispatch they didn’t know if anyone was home, Litchfield fire officials said in a statement.
First responders, including Nicoll, arrived within five minutes and quickly realized that Gee, who was later found dead inside the home, was missing. Gee's husband, Thomas, was not home at the time of the fire and their two family dogs escaped the blaze.
Firefighters attempted to enter the home to search for Gee, but couldn’t because of the intense fire conditions and instability of the structure. Once the fire was extinguished, they recovered her body.
An online fundraiser created on behalf of the family described Gee as a beloved wife, mom, grandmother, sister, friend and community member.
According to Litchfield town property records, Gee has owned and resided at the property since at least 2015. At the time of her death, she was employed as a paraprofessional by the Litchfield School District, according to employee compensation information available on its website.
"Her impact reached far across the community as she worked with the children at the local elementary school for 20+ years and was heavily involved in her church community too," the fundraiser read.
The Litchfield Fire Department was assisted by crews from Hudson, Londonderry, Derry, Bedford, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua and Auburn.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
