One Person Dies in Woodstock Fire

Woodstock, New Hampshire – New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey, Woodstock Fire Chief John McKay and Woodstock Police Chief Kevin Millar announce that a fire occurred at 3 Cedar Ct. in Woodstock on January 8, 2023, at approximately 12:23 PM. A victim died as a result of this fire.

Witnesses observed smoke coming from the entrance of a mobile home and at the same time, they found a female victim outside of the home suffering from burn injuries. A fast acting neighbor was able to extinguish the bulk of the fire and Woodstock firefighters fully extinguished the fire. A neighbor assisted the fire victim until Linwood Ambulance arrived on scene and took over patient care. The fire victim was transported to Speare Memorial Hospital, and then transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital via MedFlight, where she later died from her injuries. The victim was identified as Dorothy Tomasello, age 73, of Woodstock, NH.

The investigation into the origin & cause of the fire determined it to be an accidental fire that started in the kitchen. A neighbor, who assisted Ms. Tomasello until emergency personnel arrived, was treated at Littleton Hospital for minor injuries.

The following agencies also assisted in this incident: Linwood Ambulance, Lincoln Fire and Police Departments and the Campton-Thornton Fire Department.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the NH State Fire Marshal's Office at (603) 223-4289 or by email at fmo@dos.nh.gov.

State Fire Marshal Toomey would like to encourage everyone to pay attention and remain in the kitchen when cooking and to keep anything that can catch fire at least 3 feet away from the stovetop. That’s especially true for food packaging, paper towels, etc. Heating systems and cooking fires have been the top two causes of fires for the past ten years and, combined, account for over half of the fires that take place in our state. They represent over 1,000 fires each year. If you have any questions about fire safety in your homes, please contact your local fire department or the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office.

No further information will be released at this time.