MANCHESTER, NH — Manchester Fire, and AMR Ambulance responded to a report of a residential structure fire at 196 Peabody Avenue on Monday.

While en route dispatch advised of multiple 911 calls. Firefighters arrived at about 6:25 a.m. with heavy fire showing from the side of a 3-story single-family home.

Arriving firefighters were advised that several people including two adults and seven children had self-evacuated safely from the house.

Firefighters from Engine 8 made entry into the building and encountered heavy fire in what Deputy Chief Ryan Cashin described as “hoarding conditions” with an "unorthodox floor plan which hindered access to the fire.”

The firefighters became disoriented to their location and were temporarily trapped. The crew declared a “mayday,” call indicating the need to be rescued. Crews from Rescue 1 made entry into the building and the trapped firefighters were working their way out of the building and were assisted to safety. Cashin said the firefighters were not injured in the incident.

Firefighters worked to ventilate the building and worked on extinguishing the fire from the exterior. Cashin said the structure has a unique layout of multiple rooms, and the hoarding conditions made it very difficult for crews to extinguish the fire.

The fire was brought under control at 7:00 a.m. and all fire apparatus was able to clear by 7:45 a.m. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents.

No injuries were reported to firefighters or the occupants of the house. A family dog persisted in the fire.

District Chief Jonathan Star said the cause is classified as accidental and electrical in nature.
The house was heavily damaged by the fire, and the occupants will not be able to re-occupy until substantial repairs are made to the structure.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news