Two North Main Street residents injured in Saturday apartment house blaze

ROCHESTER - Two Rochester residents were injured in a Saturday fire at a North Main Street apartment house.

The fire at 132 North Main St. was called in around 8:25 a.m. drawing city firefighters who were there within minutes.

Once there Deputy Chief Jarrod Wheeler found a working fire on the second floor of a three-unit apartment building.

Both first-floor apartments were under renovation and unoccupied, but Wheeler was advised that there were still occupants in one of the apartments. Due to the immediate threat to the occupants, Engine-4 was ordered on their arrival to conduct an immediate rescue without the protection of a hose line.

Engine-4 performed a second-floor search and located two occupants, including one who needed to be carried from the building.

While the rescue was being made, Engine-2 stretched a hose line to the fire room and extinguished the blaze.

Both occupants were treated and transported by Frisbie Paramedics to Frisbie Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained in the fire. One patient was admitted to the hospital and the other was treated and later released.

A third individual who initially refused EMS services was later transported to Frisbie to be evaluated for smoke inhalation.

According to reports, a neighbor who is acquainted with the occupants arrived to find the smoke alarm sounding with fire in a bedroom. He retrieved the fire extinguisher from the kitchen, went to the bedroom, and discharged the extinguisher on the fire, slowing its growth. He also closed the door behind him, which appears to have slowed the spread of the fire, according to Rochester fire officials.

The building sustained fire, heat, water, and smoke damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the State of New Hampshire Fire Marshals Office.

Rochester Fire was assisted on scene by Frisbie EMS, Rochester Police, Somersworth Fire, Dover Fire, Farmington Fire, Milton Fire, and the NH Fire Marshals Office. Barrington Fire, Sanford Fire, and other off-duty Rochester Firefighters provided station coverage.