Fire at 60-unit Pine Street rooming house forces evacuation

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

truck3
File Photo

MANCHESTER, NH – Fire at a rooming house on Pine Street forced evacuation of all 60 units Saturday.

At 1:28 p.m. on Sept. 14 the fire dispatch center received an automatic alarm for the rooming house located at 452 Pine St. Manchester Fire District Chief Michael Gamache said that crews arrived to find smoke venting from several windows on the north side of the fourth floor of the building.

Of the 60 units, just over half of the residents had self-evacuated. Firefighters searched the fourth floor for trapped occupants and began fighting the fire while additional crews searched and evacuated the remaining tenants who disregarded the fire alarm, Gamache said.

Screen Shot 2019 09 14 at 3.43.24 PM
Locator map

Due to the efficient and rapid response, only one tenant will be displaced for an extended period. All other occupants were able to return to their rooms approximately two hours after the fire began.

Resources responding to the fire included four engines, two ladders, one rescue company, and the District Chief. 

No injuries were reported.

Gamache said the number of residents who did not self-evacuate put a strain on the efforts of the first-alarm crews. The fire suppression system that was installed several years ago activated and although it did not extinguish the fire it did help keep the fire to the room of origin.

The cause is currently under investigation. Damage is estimated at $15,000.

 

About this Author

Manchester Fire Department

The mission of the Manchester Fire Department is to provide the City of Manchester with superior customer service and integrated emergency response to any situation that threatens the life, safety and well-being of people and property.

Facebook