Offers flooding in after woodland hermit's cabin burns down

3 years ago 331

Canterbury Fire Department

In this photograph provided by the Canterbury (New Hampshire) Fire Department, fume rises Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, from the burnt remains of a compartment successful Canterbury, N.H., inhabited by 81-year-old David Lidstone, who for 27 years has lived successful the woods of New Hampshire on the Merrimack River successful the erstwhile small, solar-paneled cabin. "River Dave," arsenic he's known by boaters and kayakers, has been jailed since July 15 aft being accused of squatting for 27 years connected the backstage property. The Canterbury occurrence main said determination volition beryllium an probe into the fire. (Canterbury Fire Department via AP)

CANTERBURY, N.H. – An off-the-grid New Hampshire hermit known to locals arsenic “River Dave” whose compartment burned down connected wooded spot wherever helium was squatting for 27 years has been inundated with offers from arsenic acold distant arsenic California for a caller spot to live.

David Lidstone, 81, lived successful the woods on the Merrimack River successful the municipality of Canterbury. He was jailed connected July 15 connected a civilian contempt authorisation and was told he'd beryllium released if helium agreed to permission the cabin. The spot owner, Leonard Giles, 86, of South Burlington, Vermont, wants Lidstone disconnected the property.

Fire destroyed the compartment connected Wednesday afternoon, the aforesaid time Lidstone appeared successful tribunal to support himself. He volition beryllium backmost successful tribunal Wednesday.

The occurrence marshal's bureau said it is investigating the blaze, but deferred questions to the Canterbury Fire Department. Lt. Dave Nelson of Canterbury Fire said helium expects the probe to instrumentality a fewer days and determination were nary updates disposable astir its origin connected Thursday.

“We conscionable had the occurrence yesterday, it takes a while,” Nelson said.

Jodie Gedeon, an avid kayaker who befriended Lidstone astir 20 years ago, said “people were conscionable devastated” astir the quality of the fire.

But she said they are not abandoning efforts to lick Lidstone's dilemma including moving retired immoderate compromise with Giles. Money raised from supporters could spell to bringing Lidstone's compound up to codification — its presently successful usurpation of section and authorities zoning and biology regulations — and to physique an entree roadworthy to the property.

“They conscionable can't judge it happened. We felt similar we had a small spot of hope,” she said of the caller tribunal hearing. “We thought the onshore proprietor and David would travel to agreement. One enactment was to lease that information of onshore to Dave. Bring it up to code. We felt that would beryllium a realistic solution if the 2 men would agree.”

A archetypal relative of Lidstone, Horace Clark of Milton, Vermont, agrees helium should beryllium allowed to stay connected the property, wherever helium has a tiny compartment adorned with star panels. Lidstone has grown his ain food, chopped his ain firewood, and tended to his pets and chickens.

The woodlot Lidstone called location was conscionable a fewer miles distant from Interstate 93. But it was hidden by the trees; it’s connected 73 acres that person been utilized for timber harvests. The spot has been owned by the aforesaid household since 1963. There are nary plans astatine this clip to make it.

“Leave the feline alone. He’s not harming anybody,” Clark said. “If helium wasn’t a occupation successful 27 years, helium is not going to beryllium a occupation now.”

But Giles’ lawyer Lisa Snow Wade said determination are nary discussions astir allowing Lidstone to stay connected the property.

“I did talk with Jodie Gedeon this greeting who raised the thought of a lease, but I explained to her that we had considered this thought successful the past erstwhile Mr. Lidstone had counsel, and we each concluded that it did not alteration the liability of the landowner to the municipality for having idiosyncratic surviving successful an amerciable operation connected the property,” she said successful an email interview.

The different enactment for Lidstone would beryllium to relocate to different parcel of land, a existent anticipation fixed that Gedeon has received astir 20 offers from Maine, New Hampshire and arsenic acold arsenic California. Many of those offers resulted from the media sum of Lidstone's plight.

“It tells maine that radical person compassion and humanity and don't hold with what happens,” Gedeon said, adding she planned to sermon options with Lidstone successful a jailhouse telephone telephone Thursday night.

Lidstone told a justice during the Wednesday tribunal quality that helium had nary tendency to comply with the bid to permission the cabin. Most of his possessions were removed from it earlier the fire.

Lidstone, who is primitively from Maine, besides said the compartment was not a due location but alternatively a hunting and sportfishing camp. He doesn't person an lawyer for his tribunal case. Another proceeding successful the lawsuit is scheduled for adjacent week, though it was unclear however the lawsuit would beryllium altered by the nonaccomplishment of the cabin.

“You came with your guns, you arrested me, brought maine successful here, you’ve got each my possessions. You support ’em,” Lidstone told a justice during the tribunal appearance. “I’ll beryllium present with your azygous connected until I rot, sir.”

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. AP Correspondent Michael Casey contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

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