NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: For Additional Information: August 5, 2010 Chief Gary Lamoureux (603) 357-9861
Occupants Of A Three Story Apartment Building Escape Building Fire Without Injury At 54 Pine Street.
Keene firefighters were dispatched at 0145 hours to a reported building fire on Green Street with possible occupants trapped. The shift commander arrived on Green Street at the rear of the building with heavy fire showing from the third floor and upgraded to a second alarm assignment. The building address is 54 Pine Street however the building was approximately eighty feet long and covered the entire property which allowed access from the front and rear of the building. The first arriving crew entered the building from the Pine Street entrance to complete a search for occupants. Due to heavy fire and heat they were not able to gain access to the third floor and locate the fire or occupants. A search of the first and second floor was conducted with no occupants found. Speaking with the owner/occupant of the building we were able to confirm that the occupants of the first and second floor were out of the building and shortly after confirmed that the occupants of the third floor were not at home at the time of the incident and located in Swanzey NH. Due to the heavy volume of fire the Incident Commander ordered all crews out of the building as a roof collapse was imminent. A third and fourth alarm was requested for equipment and firefighters. Master stream devices were set up and four ladder trucks flowed water into the structure to extinguish the fire. The fire was called under control at 0347. Due to temperatures and humidity firefighters were rotated on a continual basis to ensure their safety. No injuries were reported from occupants or firefighters throughout the incident. Many fire companies were on scene completing overhaul to ensure all fire was extinguished at the time of this release.
Damage is considered significant to the building and not habitable. There were no exposure problems with other structures and no apparent damage to exposures. Public Service arrived and disconnected power to the entire street to allow safe operations of the ladder trucks.
The Fire Investigation Team remained on scene, the incident is under investigation.
Southwest New Hampshire District Fire Mutual Aid dispatched the fire as well as supplied a communication specialist to assist at the scene
Multiple Fire Departments and agencies assisted on scene, Swanzey, Marlborough, Sullivan, Peterborough, Spofford, Brattleboro VT. Westminster VT. Putney VT and Diluzio Ambulance
Walpole, Chesterfield, Surry, Fitzwilliam and Westmoreland covered the Central and West Keene Stations.