MANCHESTER, NH – Several people were displaced, some lost everything, and some were injured in the 3-alarm fire at 567 Union Street early on New Year’s Day that claimed one life.
The community started rallying and supporting the victims less than an hour after the first fire apparatus arrived early Thursday.
At the time of the fire a New Year’s Eve service was being held at First Baptist Church, a block away, and the congregation transitioned from celebrating to supporting the victims.
“I found out from folks at one of our sister churches, the Slavic Evangelical Baptist Church of Manchester, that when they ended their service at midnight for New Years there was a fire going on just down the street,” said Faith Baptist Church of Manchester Pastor Greg Scalise. He woke up to a flurry of text messages and calls letting him know the church had been a hub of activity through the night.
The Slavic congregation stayed through the night to assist the fire victims, and then Scalise’s congregation took the morning shift, at about 8 a.m.
In talking to church members, Scalise said they agreed that it was “providential” that the timing of the fire meant the church was in use and there was plenty of coffee and food to offer those in need, as well as a warm place to wait for the Red Cross to arrive.
Staff from the American Red Cross arrived and started coordinating the names of the residents, and determining services they would need. They also helped reunite the residents with relatives who had arrived to assist them.
Thursday morning the Mayor’s Office, Manchester Housing, Manchester Health, Manchester Transit (MTA), and an owner from Choice Realty started stepping up.
Residents who did not have an immediate alternative location to stay were transported to local hotels by MTA carrying any belongings they could salvage.
Staff from the city departments who had planned to be off for the day jumped into gear, and started arranging long-term housing for the residents.
Craig St. Pierre from Choice Realty who has several available apartments arrived around 2 a.m. and began working with city departments to start the process of getting people into an apartment at St. Pierre’s newly renovated building at 1138 Elm St.
St. Pierre just started leasing apartments at the Elm Street location and he has more than two dozen units that accept housing vouchers and rental assisted apartments. The company is waiving all application fees, and working with the city departments to get people placed.
Carol Robidoux contributed to this report.