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.
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.