MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - One person has died and two people, including a firefighter, were airlifted to Boston hospitals after a raging fire tore through a residential building in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday, officials said.
Firefighters responding to reports of a blaze at a Dutton Street six-family building in Manchester, New Hampshire around 6:10 p.m. found heavy flames shooting out of the building.
“Flames just started roaring out the windows,” said tenant Joey Turcott. “The firefighters were awesome. They got to the point and they took care of it.”
“The fire was instant — the fire alarms went off, I made it down the front stairs, I saw the flames, I went back up to get everybody out of the house and I went on the back porches and it was so engulfed in smoke, I couldn’t even find the bottom of the stairs,” said William Rodgers.
Crews rescued five people from the third floor and one from the second floor, fire officials said.
One person was pronounced dead after being discovered on the second floor back porch once the flames were extinguished.
Two people, including a firefighter suffering from second-degree burns on 40 percent of his body, were flown to Boston hospitals with serious injuries, according to Manchester firefighters. Their condition has not been released.
“The actions of the crews last night went above and beyond the call of duty, and Captain [Steve] DesRuisseaux’s efforts were nothing short of heroic,” said Manchester Fire Battalion Chief Dave Flurey of the injured firefighter. “Captain DesRuisseaux’s actions led to the rescue of six people and is a true testament to Steve’s professionalism.”
Tenants say they complained about electrical issues plaguing the building in the past out of fear something horrific, like the fire, would happen.
“They just kept giving us the cold shoulder, ‘We have other units to take care of,’ and I’m like well why don’t you hire a bigger crew? And now this,” said a tenant.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
No additional information was immediately available.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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