- Address: 567 Union Street
- Dispatch: 00:36
- Under Control: 01:50
Resources: (1st alarm) Engines 11, 6, 10, RIC Engines 7, 5 Trucks 1, 6 Rescue 1, Battalion Chief, ALS 1, (2nd alarm) Engines 9, 2, Truck 7, ALS 2, (3rd alarm) Engines 8, 4, Bedford Tower 1, Derry ALS, K1, K2, All off duty personnel requested.
MANCHESTER, NH – One person is confirmed dead, and several others injured in an early morning 3-alarm New Year’s Day apartment building fire that housed 40 people.
According to a report issued Thursday by Battalion Chief Kenneth Proulx, who was incident commander, at approximately 12:36 a.m. on Jan. 1 Manchester Fire Dept. dispatched companies to 567 Union St. for a reported building fire with reports of people trapped on multiple floors and locations within the building.
Heavy fire was coming from floors 3 and 4 extending to the roof structure with multiple victims on balconies and windows. One occupant jumped from a second-floor balcony, others were brought down by ground ladders as well as Truck 1 and 7’s aerial buckets in both the front and rear of the building.
During their search of the fourth floor, firefighters found an unresponsive child in a bedroom, and an unresponsive adult male was also located in a hallway. The child was taken out of the building through a window and brought down an aerial ladder, where they were transported to a nearby hospital. The child was ultimately transported to a Boston hospital, where they remain in critical condition. The adult male was taken out of the building down a stairwell and lifesaving measures were attempted. The adult male was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office.
Photos/Jeffrey Hastings
The 2nd and 3rd alarms were struck quickly bringing additional resources to the scene to assist with rescue and fire control.
All first arriving companies were in rescue mode. Rescue 1 removed multiple occupants from the structure while others advanced charged hose lines to assist with rescue operations.
All areas of the building had been searched and cleared of all occupants multiple times by multiple companies. Fire was brought under control at 1:50 a.m., followed by extensive overhaul. Occupants of the structure were able to take temporary shelter at the First Baptist Church located at 536 Union St. Red Cross responded to the church to assist 10 families who were displaced by the fire.
The name of the adult male victim is being withheld pending an autopsy scheduled at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In addition to the child who was taken to Boston, an adult female resident has also been transported to a Boston area hospital with critical injuries, and at least five other residents are at local hospitals with serious injuries. The full extent of injuries as a result of the fire remains under investigation.
As many as 50 people have been displaced as a result of the fire, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office. The American Red Cross and the building’s landlord are providing assistance.
Investigators with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office have responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire, in conjunction with investigators from the Manchester Fire Department. While residents are still being interviewed and the investigation is in its early stages, at this time, investigators believe the fire started in a third-floor apartment bedroom. The fire is not considered suspicious.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is encouraged to contact the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office at (603) 223-4289 or fmo@dos.nh.gov.
- Civilian Injuries: There was one fatality, one person in critical condition and seven others transported to nearby hospitals for assessment and treatment.
- Emergency Service Injuries: None reported
- Special Circumstances: Large residential occupied structure, heavy fire and smoke conditions with multiple people trapped. Winter weather conditions with light snow and ice causing numerous slips and falls.
- Fire Cause: Under investigation.
- Estimated Dollar Loss: Undetermined at this time