Independent New Hampshire Journalism · Northfield, NHThe State Fire Marshal calls the fire not suspicious and is still counting who was aboard. Alton’s fire chief says only a handful of departments can fight fire on the water.
Update, Sept. 22, 2026, 9:22 a.m. EDT: This report first ran as a developing story and said the owners had announced no plans. WOKQ reported on Aug. 11, 2026, that the owners decided not to rebuild, and the Boston Globe reported 70 to 90 customers were aboard. The “Developing” label was removed, those facts were added, and weekday references now give dates.
ALTON — The fire that destroyed The Dive, the floating bar and restaurant that spent nine summers anchored on Lake Winnipesaukee, started in the kitchen and is not considered suspicious, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office says, and investigators are still working out how many people were aboard when it burned.
The latest
The vessel is a total loss. It was towed from the Smalls Cove sandbar after the July 25 fire, and the New Hampshire Union Leader reported the boat was brought to West Alton Marina on the morning of Sunday, July 26, a move confirmed to the paper by marina operations manager Nathan Schrider.
State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey’s office took over the origin-and-cause investigation at the request of local officials. Investigators believe the fire began in the kitchen area, and the office says the owner is fully cooperating. Investigators are reviewing video and interviewing witnesses, and they are asking anyone who was aboard The Dive during the fire and has not yet spoken with them to call (603) 223-4289 or email fmo@dos.nh.gov.
The Fire Marshal’s Office reported no injuries. WMUR later reported that the Alton Fire Department confirmed one firefighter suffered a minor injury. The exact number of customers and staff aboard when the fire broke out remains unconfirmed.
The state Department of Environmental Services responded and verified that containment booms were deployed around the vessel, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office. All gasoline aboard was consumed in the fire, the office said, and the diesel tank was not affected. NHDES continues to monitor cleanup in the area.
What happened July 25
State Police Marine Patrol received reports of a fire aboard The Dive at 3:39 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. The boat was anchored at the Smalls Cove sandbar in Alton and open for business. Marine Patrol officers and firefighters from Alton, Gilford, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro responded with fireboats and knocked down the flames.
In remarks reported by WMUR, Alton Fire Chief James Reinert said only a handful of departments on the lake operate boats with firefighting capability, and heavy boat traffic on the water that afternoon made the response harder.
In a statement posted July 25, The Dive’s owners said every person aboard made it off safely, and they credited the people on board who fought the fire and the bystanders who swam over carrying their own fire extinguishers. “Watching The Dive burn was absolutely heartbreaking, and we are devastated by this loss,” the business wrote. The owners said the boat operated on the lake for nine years.
The place
The Smalls Cove sandbar sits off Alton, a Belknap County town of 5,894 at the 2020 census that wraps around the southern end of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Four towns in two counties sent fire crews onto the water to fight a single boat fire.
What we do not know yet
Two things remain open. The official count of people aboard is unconfirmed and is the subject of the witness canvass. The dollar value of the loss has not been released. The Boston Globe reported that 70 to 90 customers were aboard.
The owners’ July 25 statement stated no plans. WOKQ reported on Aug. 11, 2026, that the owners decided not to rebuild and offered the barge, hull and engines to anyone who might open a similar business.
Fact check
| # | Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire reported to State Police Marine Patrol at 3:39 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2026 | VERIFIED | N.H. State Fire Marshal’s Office announcement |
| 2 | The Dive was anchored at the Smalls Cove sandbar in Alton and open for business | VERIFIED | Fire Marshal’s Office announcement; town identified in WMUR and Union Leader reporting |
| 3 | Marine Patrol plus Alton, Gilford, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro firefighters responded with fireboats | VERIFIED | Fire Marshal’s Office announcement |
| 4 | Fire believed to have started in the kitchen area; not considered suspicious; owner cooperating | VERIFIED | State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey announcement |
| 5 | Vessel is a total loss and was towed from the scene | VERIFIED | Fire Marshal’s Office announcement |
| 6 | Boat towed to West Alton Marina on the morning of Sunday, July 26 | ATTRIBUTED | New Hampshire Union Leader, citing marina operations manager Nathan Schrider |
| 7 | NHDES verified containment booms deployed; gasoline consumed in fire; diesel tank unaffected | VERIFIED | Fire Marshal’s Office announcement |
| 8 | Fire Marshal’s Office reported no injuries | VERIFIED | Fire Marshal’s Office announcement |
| 9 | Alton Fire Department confirmed one firefighter suffered a minor injury | ATTRIBUTED | WMUR reporting |
| 10 | Chief James Reinert: few departments have fireboats; heavy traffic slowed the response | ATTRIBUTED | WMUR reporting; Reinert confirmed as Alton chief on the state fire chiefs list and by Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid |
| 11 | Owners: everyone aboard escaped safely; bystanders swam over with extinguishers; nine years on the lake | ATTRIBUTED | The Dive public statement, July 25, 2026 |
| 12 | Alton: Belknap County town, population 5,894 (2020 census); Winnipesaukee is N.H.’s largest lake | ATTRIBUTED | 2020 U.S. Census figures as compiled in standard town references |
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granitestatereport@gmail.com · (603) 931-9264
Editor’s note. This initial report is based on the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office announcement, statements from the Alton Fire Department reported by WMUR-TV, reporting by the New Hampshire Union Leader and NBC Boston, and The Dive’s public statement of July 25, 2026; see the fact-check table. The Fire Marshal’s investigation is ongoing, and figures marked unconfirmed will be updated as officials release them. Corrections: Granite State Report corrects verified errors promptly and appends a dated note identifying what changed and when. The corrections policy and the corrections register are public, and correction notes are never removed.
