MANCHESTER, NH – A 2-alarm fire at 132 Alsace Street left a man with burns, and significant damage to a 3-story building and collateral damage to the adjacent building.
Manchester Fire received calls for a building fire just before 5 p.m. on Thursday. The first firefighters arrived within minutes and had fire on the second and third floor porches. A working fire was immediately requested bringing additional apparatus and firefighters.
Due to the fire spreading quickly to the attic, extreme heat and threatening adjacent structures a second alarm was requested.
A man who was home at the time of the fire was transported to Catholic Medical Center and then flown to Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston with serious burns and smoke inhalation. Three firefighters suffered minor hand injuries.
Firefighters knocked down the fire on the porches quickly, the fire had spread into the ceiling of the third floor and attic which hampered access.
Crews battled the fire inside and warned to stay away from the third floor porch was structurally unsafe.
Manchester Fire Truck 1 cut holes in the roof to access the fire in the attic. At one point the ladder truck had to pull back due to the extreme heat.
Crews battled active fire for about 30 minutes, and had extensive overhaul pulling ceilings and opening up walls.
AMR ambulance crews provided water to the firefighters and evaluated them for heat exposure. One firefighter had a minor cut on his hand, but it appeared no other firefighters injuries were injured.
The fire is under investigation by the Manchester Fire Marshal’s Office. At this time the cause has not officially been released but it appears the fire started on the third floor porch.
The occupants of 132 Alsace are displaced from their apartments. The residents of the adjacent building which had melted vinyl siding will be able to return to their apartments.
Eversource shut off power to several buildings initially, however now it has been restored to all buildings except the fire building.
Preliminary investigation points to an accidental fire caused by improper disposal of smoking materials on the third-floor porch
Estimated Dollar Loss: $150,000 as per Manchester Fire Battalion Chief Kenneth Proulx.