VIDEO: Three firefighters were hurt during a fire rescue at a multi-family home in New Haven. The fast-moving fire was reported on Salem Street just before 11 a.m. The New Haven Fire Department said 40 firefighters responded.
A crew that left nearby Yale New Haven Hospital heard the call and saw the smoke. It was among those that raced to the scene to help. โWe saw the smoke, and all of a sudden, a boom,โ said William Rosario, New Haven.
Chief John Alston from the fire department said four adults lived in the home. They were able to safely get out on their own. โA lot of fire, you can tell from the exterior of the building,โ Chief Alston said. However, two senior citizens needed to be rescued. One was on the first floor and the other was on the second floor.
โThey ran in right away, right away. They wasnโt scared, asked whoโs in there and jumped in right away,โ Rosario said. โIt was scary. They took the lady out, the older lady and her husband, took her out, took him out. I was scared, didnโt know what else to do.โ
Of the firefighters who rescued them, one suffered heat exhaustion, the other had minor burns. A third firefighter also sustained a hand injury. Alston said they were checked out at a hospital, along with one of the rescued residents.
โThatโs one of the most difficult times of the fire,โ he said. โWater is not in place yet, [weโre] working without the protection of a hose line, literally passing the fire to bring folks out and one was on the second floor. [But the response was] excellent. [Iโm] very proud of the work we do in the City of New Haven.โ
The injuries were said to be non-life-threatening. The American Red Cross was said to be helping the two families who were forced out. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
