Donald Hande, Ayla Stevens, Three Children Injured in Haverhill Mobile Home Fire That Killed a Corgi and Three Cats at Property on Cook Lane
HAVERHILL, NEW HAMPSHIRE (June 14, 2026) – Donald Hande, Ayla Stevens, and multiple children were injured in a Haverhill fire at a mobile home on Cook Lane.
Grafton County officials are saying that the incident occurred in the early morning hours last Friday. The fire broke out inside of the mobile home for undetermined reasons.
Donald Hande sustained major burn injuries over half of his body. Ayla Stevens sustained injuries to her arm after breaking a window in order to rescue her 10-year-old son A.J.
He and two other children were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and various injuries. Sadly, a corgi named Potato and three other cats tragically died in the fire.
Firefighters were able to stop the majority of the fire around 4:45 AM that same night. Investigators believe that the fire may have started in the kitchen of the home. But the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
DiBella Law Injury and Accident Lawyers remains committed to improving public safety and increasing transparency through our Free Police Report program. If you’ve been involved in any type of accident that required a police response, we can help you get a copy of the police report created at no cost or obligation to you.
Liability for Haverhill Home Fires
Depending on the unique facts of any case, there could be several sources of liability for any residential fires. For example, the company that manufactured a product in a person’s home could potentially be liable for a residential fire. A number of residential fires have been started by products with defective batteries. According to the National Fire Protection Association, “New York City has experienced more than 800 fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries, leading to 30 deaths and more than 400 injuries. Lithium-ion batteries have been the third-leading cause of accidental fires across New York City in each of the past two years, trailing only electrical wiring and smoking.” There are many ways that a consumer product may have been defective and contributed to a fire.
- Electrical Defects: A product may have had designed effects that allowed for overheating to occur. This could be due to electrical defects within the product that caused a short circuit.
- Battery Defects: Lithium-ion batteries may have a defective battery management system that fails to prevent thermal runaway. This can allow the devices to become hotter and hotter before eventually catching fire.
- Heat Control: A consumer product may have lacked adequate heat control measures. For example, a product may not have sufficient ventilation or automatic shutoff systems.
When evaluating who could potentially be liable for any residential fire, it is important to consider the source of the fire. Even after the source of the fire has been determined, there needs to be an extensive evaluation of the suspected cause. When a consumer product is potentially involved, it should be determined if the product involved was on any recall list. If a consumer product has a propensity to malfunction and contribute to a fire, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
Steps to Take After A Haverhill, NH House Fire
Residential fires remain one of the leading causes of preventable injury in the United States. According to the National Safety Council, “In 2024, 1,388,000 fires resulted in 3,920 civilian deaths and 11,780 injuries. In addition, there were 62 firefighter deaths. This firefighter fatal injury count is a decrease from the 90 fatal injuries in 2023.” It is important that certain actions are taken after any residential fire.
- Medical Treatment: Victims should seek medical treatment as early as possible. Even seemingly minor injuries can turn out to be more serious.
- Physical Evidence: All of the physical evidence associated with the fire should be collected and preserved. This includes any potential source of the fire.
- Eyewitnesses: Any person who may have witnessed the fire should be interviewed as early as possible, while their memories are still fresh.
- Legal Review: Victims should carefully consider their legal options with a team experienced in personal injury law.
It can be difficult to know what to do after any residential fire. Many people are left with life-altering injuries. They may also need to undergo expensive and painful skin graft surgeries. Of course, fires routinely destroy all of the earthly possessions that people have. In these situations, it is important that victims understand they do have legal options. They are able to seek some measure of accountability and justice through a civil claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
Investigating New Hampshire Residential Fires
We at DiBella Law extend our best wishes to Donald Hande, Ayla Stevens, A.J. and the other children injured in this fire. It is our sincere hope that they will all be able to make a full recovery. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong so that similar accidents can be prevented. Many questions have to be answered at this time.
Do you need more information about a New Hampshire residential fire? Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to assist you. We are committed to helping accident victims get the medical and financial assistance that they need to put their lives back together. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help with your specific situation, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 855-342-3552.
