A dryer fire at a Pine Street rooming house caused an evacuation of about 50 people, according to Manchester Fire District Chief Michael Gamache.
An alarm dispatched the fire department at about 6:40 p.m. Crews arrived to 455 Pine St. to find residents of the 40-unit Bob’s Hotel self-evacuating, although a few occupants were escorted out by firefighters. Heavy smoke was filling the first floor as firefighters entered the building to find the source of the fire, which was a dryer in the first-floor laundry room. Fire was beginning to creep from the dryer and threatened to catch the building on fire.
Crews were able to extinguish the fire and remove smoke from the three-floor building within about 30 minutes, Gamache said. Residents were displaced for about an hour, but all are able to return for the night.
The fire was determined to be accidental, Gamache said.