By Jason Schreiber
The Union Leader
STRATHAM, N.H. — Friends say Lori Breard always had a smile on her face and would never let anyone down.
“She would help anyone with anything at any time. Her energy was really endless,” recalled Robert Ortins, a financial advisor from Stratham who was saddened by news of the Seacoast Realtor’s death in an early morning, three-alarm fire at her home in the Sewall Farms housing development.
Breard, manager of the Exeter and Portsmouth offices of The Masiello Group and active member of the Exeter Chamber of Commerce, died when an explosion and fire tore through her duplex at 16 Cortland Ave. in Stratham. Fire officials said Breard may have gone to her basement to check on something when there was an explosion and fire just before 3 a.m.
Breard called 911 and managed to get out of the house, but suffered serious burns.
Karen Bell and her daughter live at 18 Cortland Ave., located in the same two-story duplex where the fire started, and escaped without injury. Officials said they tried to help Breard when she ran outside.
The blaze quickly went to three alarms, bringing nearly 100 firefighters from surrounding communities to the scene.
“It was fully involved when we got here,” Fire Chief Stan Walker said.
The state fire marshal’s office is assisting fire officials in searching for the cause. However, Walker said the fire does not appear to be suspicious.
Breard was initially rushed to Exeter Hospital, but later taken to a Boston hospital, where she died yesterday around 10 a.m.
Deputy State Fire Marshal John Raymond confirmed that an explosion is believed to have occurred, but he couldn’t comment on reports of a possible gas odor in the area.
The fire was so intense that it damaged siding on a duplex next to the burning building and another building across the street.
Breard, who is in her 50s, was alone inside the duplex at the time of the fire. Neighbors said she moved in a few years ago.
Friends and business colleagues said they are struggling to understand the tragedy.
Breard was one of the first people Molly Palmer met when she joined the Exeter chamber as its marketing director.
Palmer recently married and she and Breard enjoyed talking about weddings. Breard’s daughter is planning to get married in about a month.
“She is by far one of the most positive, upbeat people I have ever known,” said Palmer, who recalled how Breard had served on numerous committees, most recently a committee planning the chamber’s annual dinner.
Roy Aboody, owner of Staffing Sense in Stratham, served on the Exeter chamber’s board of directors with Breard.
“We lost someone very special to the community,” he said. “She touched a lot of lives.”
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