One person is hospitalized in Boston following a fire Thursday evening in Manchester. The Manchester Fire Department says it responded around 5 p.m. to 132 Alsace Street for a reported building fire and arrived to find heavy fire on the second and third floor porches, necessitating the request for additional crews. Residents told fire crews that everyone had made it out, and the building was searched and cleared of anyone inside. One person sustained burn injuries and smoke inhalation and was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for further treatment, the fire department said.
Three firefighters also suffered minor hand injuries. The fire department said the flames progressed rapidly and went into the attic space, so firefighters cut multiple vent holes in the roof’s structure to allow crews to advance hose lines through the interior and extinguish the bulk of the fire from the third floor.
Multiple layers of the third floor ceiling and extreme heat made this a difficult blaze to battle, according to the fire department, which added that crews were rotated through frequently. It took about 45 minutes for the fire to be brought under control. The fire was determined to be accidental, caused by improper disposal of smoking materials on the third floor porch, the fire department said, noting that damages were estimated around $150,000.
