MANCHESTER, NH — Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, and several families lost their home and many of their possessions in a two-alarm fire at 165 West Hancock St. Nov. 24.
District Chief Michael Gamache said several callers reported the fire Thanksgiving evening at about 7:12 p.m., and upon arrival, firefighters found several residents and several pets who needed to be evacuated from the three-story building.
One firefighter sustained minor burns while searching the building for anyone trapped, and another suffered a shoulder injury. One resident was also transported to Catholic Medical Center for evaluation.
Four dogs and a rabbit were carried from the building – all of the pets were expected to survive.
Gamache said many of the residents may have been unaware of the fire in the six-unit building, which was not equipped with sprinklers. Due to the older construction of the building, fighting the fire and searching for hot spots was labor intensive for fire crews, Gamache said.
The cause of the blaze was due to improper disposal of smoking materials in Apartment 2 on 167 West Hancock Street.
Damage to the building is estimated at $150,000. All residents are displaced and unable to move back into the building. Red Cross spokesman Lloyd Ziel said the agency is assisting five families, including nine people. You can support your local Red Cross with a donation here.