HARTFORD — Selectmen on Thursday authorized payment of a bill from Sumner for fighting a house fire on Cary Hill Road last October.

The $1,012.50 was approved by the board after questions were raised about why it had taken so long to make the payment.

An early morning fire destroyed the farmhouse of Ken and Margaret Schuler at 198 Cary Hill Road on Oct. 4, 2009. Sumner and eight other town fire departments responded, because Hartford does not have a fire department.

Canton Selectmen Donald Hutchins and Shane Gallant, who is the fire chief, attended the meeting Thursday night, saying they wanted to try to mend relations between Hartford officials and the Sumner Fire Department.

“Sumner had a crucial part in the fire, even though there were eight departments there. They set up the water supply and shuttled the water,” Gallant said.

“It sounds like a lot of departments responding, but we had only 20 volunteers who were all packed up because of the smoke, and the air only lasted for about 20 minutes. Those people have to come out and rest while others go in,” Gallant said.

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“I don’t see why you didn’t pay them sooner,” Bob L’Heureux of Turner told Hartford officials.

Selectmen didn’t know where to take the money from until getting advice from the town’s lawyer, chairman of the board Lee Holman responded.

Selectman Jack Plumley said he thought Hartford needed its own fire department.

Hutchins agreed. He said 68 percent of the fires Canton responded to last year were in Hartford, and the $7,500 charge to Hartford didn’t nearly cover the cost.

In other business,  Holman announced the town needs a Planning Board member, an  alternate to the Appeals Board, a road committee member and a solid waste and recycling member. Those interested are asked to call the office or contact a select person.

Lake Days will be at the Hartford Beach for the towns of Hartford and Canton on Saturday, Sept. 14, beginning at 11 a.m.


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