BY MATT SCHOOLEY

As flames and smoke poured out of Keith Bernard’s Dunbarton garage and barn, he and his fiancee didn’t have time to think. The couple could only act.

The four-alarm blaze on Saturday, Sept. 22, ripped through the property, but as the flames grew, Bernard and Sheri Nuanez ran in and out of the barn to rescue their 11 horses and move them to safety.

The couple was getting ready for a co-worker’s wedding when Bernard heard a pop and looked out to his garage, where he saw smoke. Upon opening the garage door, he saw flames, ran inside to get a fire extinguisher and told Nuanez to call 911.

Dunbarton Fire Chief John Wiggins spoke of the couple’s courageous act.

“They simply reacted and didn’t even realize the danger,” said Wiggins. “They took a risk and it paid off. We don’t encourage people to run back into the fire in similar situations, but we certainly know why they did it.”

Bernard, who attempted to fight the blaze with the extinguisher and a garden hose, said he and Nuanez have a close connection to the animals.

“Those horses are like our kids, they’re our family,” he said. “We have spent a lot of time with them, treated them and taken care of them. It’d be like losing a son or daughter if we had lost them.”

In addition to rescuing the horses, Bernard quickly realized that a truck was nearby loaded with recently purchased wood chips – a recipe for disaster. He ran to pull the truck out of the barn, and seconds after doing so the wall near that end of the building collapsed.

The garage and barn were only about seven feet apart from each other and about 75 feet from the house, which suffered minor damage from the heat.

“It was one of the biggest fires we’ve dealt with in recent history,” said Wiggins. “The house was minutes away from catching on fire. Our firefighters did a great job of protecting the home. We focused a lot of our efforts into saving it.”

Barely anything remains of the barn and garage, a painful reminder for Bernard.

“Rebuilding the barn is going to be a long and hard process. It’s devastating to walk through the door of the house, look out and see literally nothing,” said Bernard.

State fire marshals have concluded the investigation into the cause of the fire for the time being, and ruled it inconclusive.

“The fire started in the garage in a workshop area. There were paint and petroleum products around, but we just can’t determine exactly what caused it,” said Wiggins, who also said it is somewhat rare for investigators to be unable to locate the cause of a fire. “When there is complete destruction, which is what happened here, you can’t pinpoint what it was.”

Having no explanation for what caused the destruction to his property is frustrating for Bernard.

“Not being able to tell what started the fire is hard. If it was something electrical, we want to make sure we can triple check when we rebuild,” he said. “The destruction is just tremendous, and the reason is gray. We want to know what we can do to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Many friends and residents in the area have donated hay and other products to the couple, although Wiggins recommends that those looking to donate give cash or gift certificates to grain stores.

Both Nuanez and Bernard suffered burns from the heat of the fire, but despite the physical results of his actions, Bernard said he wouldn’t change anything.

“Obviously I don’t want to have to face anything like this again, but I would do it again if I had to to save these horses,” he said. “We’re getting better, but it will just take some time.”

A fund has been set up to help the pair rebuild. Donations can be sent to the Blue Ribbon Stables Fire Rescue Fund, c/o Citizens Bank, 199 Route 101, Amherst, NH 03031.