Firefighters arrived at 3 AM to battle a man’s burning home. 2 hours later, he’d stolen their rescue truck and vanished
Nestor Roman II stood in the way of firefighters saving his house
If your house catches on fire, your first instinct would be to do everything possible to save it. However, a 30-year-old New Hampshire man, Nestor Roman II, thought running away was the only solution. Not only did he run away, but he also got into a Whitefield Fire & Rescue truck to do it, as reported by NBC Boston on August 26, 2026. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Roman is set to be arraigned at Lancaster District Court on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The New Hampshire State Police sent State Troopers to Roman's burning house at Faraway Road and Mountain Road around 3:50 a.m., and Roman got into the Ford F-550 around 5:00 a.m.
Trail of rampage
When firefighters reached Roman's house, the fire was raging. But while they were trying to save his house, Roman got into their truck and drove off. During his getaway, Dalton Fire Rescue told the outlet that he almost hit two firefighters and almost crushed a third between two trucks. He did not get away scot-free, and neither did the truck. He allegedly hit another Whitefield fire truck that was working on putting out the fire.
Roman also ran over several water supply lines and hit a firefighter's parked private car. As per reports from the New Hampshire State Police, he ran over wooden fences at two properties and crashed the truck at another property. At the last location, he was trying to steal items from the resident's porch, where he was finally arrested.
Roman was charged with several offenses. These include three counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and four counts of conduct after an accident. He was also charged for obstructing government administration, burglary, resisting arrest, and felony theft by unauthorized taking. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and Roman is set to be arraigned at Lancaster District Court on Wednesday, September 16.
Deadly duty
As per Boss Training, firefighters rank 9th on their list of 'Most Dangerous Jobs in the World.' The U.S. Fire Administration report from 2018 to 2020 revealed that 87% of the injuries sustained by firefighters usually happened in structure fires. Firefighters were also 10 times more likely to be injured in structure fires than in nonstructure fires. Given these statistics, it can be understood that the firefighters were under immense stress and pressure to focus and make quick decisions. However, while they were trying to save Roman's home, he was the one who allegedly put their lives in danger.
'Adding fuel to the fire'
People could not wrap their heads around why Roman would steal a truck from firefighters who were trying to help him. Shannon Waters asked, "So he stole the fire engine from firefighters fighting a fire at his own home?" Joe Ouellette left a humorous comment, "That's m*thed up."
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