First responders responded to a small fire at the State Library in Concord on Monday morning. An overheated elevator motor in the basement produced a large volume of smoke, but was quickly under control, and no injuries were reported.
“We were fortunate that it took very minimal water to extinguish the fire. It’s mostly just evacuating the smoke,” said Concord Deputy Fire Chief Aaron McIntire.
McIntire said there is no damage to the building or the State Library’s collection, which contains more than 500,000 items, including materials relating the New Hampshire’s history.
The State Library was founded in 1717, making it the oldest state library in the country. The current building, constructed from native granite, was built in 1895.