MILFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A Milford police dispatcher jumped into action Wednesday night, responding to an apartment fire after seeing smoke and flames coming from the complex.
“To be honest, I almost was trying to convince myself it wasn’t a fire, but I knew it was a fire,” Jason Covino said. “(I) parked my car at the town hall, and went right to the apartments.”
Crews responding to a reported structure fire on North Bow Street about 11 p.m. were met by large flames, Milford Fire Chief William J. Touhey Jr. said.
“Had heavy fire showing from the second floor out of the front of the building,” he said. “They made a quick knockdown from the outside.”
Covino says he’s usually on the other end of the line, but he knew what to do.
“I started screaming for people, knocking on doors,” Covino said. “Thirty seconds or so later, Officer Branch and Officer Geokis arrived. The three of us started opening up apartments trying to get people out.”
After learning that there was someone still in the building, Touhey said firefighters ran inside and found the victim on the second floor.
“Fortunately, we had an ambulance on scene already, removed the victim from the building, and transported her to Milford Hospital,” he said.
Half a dozen others were forced out of their homes, but Covino says the outcome could have been far worse.
“I felt bad they were out in the cold rain last night and they were displaced from their place to live, but I’m happy everyone was safe,” Covino said.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was later transferred to a hospital in Boston.
The state fire marshal’s office is focusing on accidental causes as they investigate.
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