Crime & Safety

Adults, Children Escape To Safety After Multi-Family House Fire

Portsmouth firefighters extinguished a blaze in a multi-family home Thursday night.

 

A Portsmouth family escaped to safety Thursday night after a fire broke out in their East Main Road home. 

Firefighters from five area departments, including Portsmouth, were called to the residence at 1193 East Main Road at 9:25 p.m. for a report of a structure fire. 

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Portsmouth Engine 1, Engine 3, Tower Ladder 1, Car 1, and Car 2 arrived at the scene. Crews witnessed heavy smoke coming from the rear of the two-story house.

A second alarm was transmitted due to conditions and the size of the structure. 

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With the second alarm, engines from Bristol, Middletown and Naval Station Newport responded to the scene. A Tiverton crew covered the Portsmouth fire station. 

An ambulance was also dispatched to the scene from Bristol.

"Portsmouth crews, led by Capt. Sieben, stretched attack lines into an interior stairwell," wrote Deputy Chief Michael O'Brien in an e-mail. "After locating fire inside a rear exterior wall, the fire was extinguished on all three floors, as well as the basement, when crews used hand tools to break through wall plaster to expose the fire.

"The fire appears to have spread quickly upwards through the open bays of the wall."

Four adults and two children were inside the multi-family home at the time of the fire. 

They all escaped to safety. No injuries were reported. 

"One adult was exposed to smoke while rescuing a family pet," O'Brien said.

The Red Cross provided shelter for the displaced families.

"Extensive overhaul was performed to put all hot spots and prevent any possible re-ignition of the fire," O'Brien said. 

"This chief officer wishes to commend the responders for a outstanding stop on a potentially dangerous fire. I would also like to express gratitude for the response from our mutual aid partners."


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