Manchester Firefighters rescue occupants from fire

City of Manchester Fire Department Press Release:

Type of Incident: Building Fire

Date: 11/23/16

Address: 1061 Elm St

Time: 2122 Under Control: 2140 All Out: 2235

Number/Type Apparatus: a first alarm assignment

Number of Alarms: 1

Incident Summary:Dispatch received an automatic box alarm for 1061 Elm St. As firefighters

were responding dispatch received a call from an occupant of apartment 210 indicated that

there was an emergency in their apartment and that they were trapped. Dispatchers could not

get clarification from the occupant on what type of emergency that they were reporting. After

further inquiry they reported a possible explosion. Fire crews from the Central station arrived

several minutes after receiving the call and discovered a fire in apartment 210 with occupants

still inside. Firefighters accessed the 3 bedroom apartment through the only access available

which led them into the living room that was on fire. Firefighters searched the two adjacent

rooms for the known trapped occupants and rescued them, removing them to the exterior hall

through a barricaded secondary egress, and then to the outside where they were evaluated by

AMR ambulance personnel. Though shaken up they were not injured and refused transport to

the hospital.

Any Special Features:Large 4 story residential in downtown Manchester. MPD assisted and

closed Elm st. while MFD fought the blaze.

Extent of Damages: approx. $10,000.00. Cesarios pizza and the Element lounge were both

effected by water runoff from the sprinkler system. Manchester Health department responded

and met with representatives of both businesses.

Civilians Injured:      

Firefighters Injured:      

Building Owner:     

Remarks: The 911 dispatcher kept the occupants on the phone (helping them stay calm) the

whole time up until they were rescued. A working sprinkler system kept the fire in check until

firefighters arrived and extinguished the remainder of the fire. Heavy smoke filled most of the

second floor and the third and fourth floors had moderate smoke from the fire. The entire

building was evacuated for approx. 1 hour as were the two effected businesses. (Cesarios and

Element Lounge)

The fire was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials into a waste basket next to the

recliner in the living room. This fire is classified as accidental.

I attribute these two people being saved to a combination of a working sprinkler system, the

calm professionalism of the 911 dispatch team and the rapid efficient response of the

Manchester Fire Department.

District Chief:Mike Gamache

100 Merrimack Street  Manchester, NH 03101  Telephone (603) 669-2256  Fax: (603) 665-6802

www.ManchesterNH.gov