A significant incident occurred Monday morning when part of the roof at Turnkey Lumber Corp. collapsed under the weight of heavy snow, leading to the release of between 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of propane. This event also necessitated a temporary closure of Route 12, which lasted about two hours.

Emergency services responded promptly around 6:30 a.m. after employees who were arriving for their morning shifts detected a strong smell of propane and noticed the structural failure. Fortunately, no one was present in the building at the time, and no injuries were reported.

When firefighters arrived, they found approximately 10 feet of accumulated snow on the roof. The situation was assessed as dangerous, with officials indicating that such a high concentration of propane could have led to an explosion if ignited by a spark. However, first responders were able to shut off the propane tanks and ventilate the building effectively without incident.

Significant damage occurred to the front section of the structure, and fire officials indicated that further evaluations by structural engineers will be necessary to understand the extent of the destruction. Alongside the Fitzwilliam Fire Department, teams from Keene, Richmond, Troy, and Winchendon, Massachusetts, assisted in managing the situation, as well as HazMat specialists from Keene.

Safety officials are emphasizing the importance of snow removal from roofs, particularly in light of the dense accumulation that can form as seasonal snow melts. The incident has raised awareness about potential hazards associated with heavy snow loads on building structures.