KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A small but potentially dangerous fire at a Keene nursing home prompted a large emergency response Friday morning, though firefighters were able to contain the blaze quickly and no injuries were reported.

Fire crews were called shortly after 8 a.m. to Langdon Place of Keene, a multi-unit residential care facility at 136 Arch St., after reports of smoke and an electrical issue in the building according to a news release from the Keene Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, they encountered thick smoke on the second floor of the east wing, where staff members had already begun evacuating residents.

According to fire officials, two employees were attempting to knock down the fire with extinguishers when crews reached the affected apartment. Firefighters located the source of the smoke in the bathroom ceiling and worked to prevent it from spreading into the building’s attic, a concern given the structure’s size and wood-frame construction, the release said.

Langdon Place is a two-story facility housing roughly 115 residents, many of whom are elderly or have memory-related conditions. Residents from the impacted area were moved to another section of the building, while those on the first floor remained in place but were prepared to relocate if conditions worsened.

Because of the building’s occupancy and the risk of fire spreading above the ceiling, additional Keene fire units and mutual aid departments from surrounding communities were requested. Other departments covered Keene’s stations while crews focused on the incident.

Firefighters reported that flames were limited to a small area above the bathroom ceiling, though smoke traveled throughout the second floor. Crews remained on scene for more than an hour conducting ventilation and checking the attic to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and conditions were safe.

The building’s fire alarm system activated as intended, officials said. Sprinklers did not discharge because the fire did not generate enough heat to trigger them.

The Keene Fire Marshal’s Office later determined the fire was accidental and caused by the failure of an electrical fan in the ceiling. Damage to the building is estimated at approximately $20,000.

Fire officials credited Langdon Place staff for acting quickly under difficult circumstances, noting that freezing temperatures and the needs of residents added to the complexity of the response.

The building was turned back over to management after the investigation was completed.