A Manchester police officer on patrol around 1 a.m. on Nov. 18 found a building on fire at 624 Rimmon Street.
The officer requested the fire department and then the officer and a passerby started rescuing the occupants who were still on the third floor. They assisted two small children and two adults from the apartment before fire crews arrived.
Engine 6 reported heavy fire and smoke showing from the third floor. The District Chief updated the report with fire in a large three-story wood-frame structure. Fire was on the top floor and extending into the attic and roof areas and a second alarm was struck.
Firefighters stretched several handlines and attacked the heavy fire conditions on the top floor porch area.
The crew from Rescue 1 conducted searches and were able to rescue a cat, which was treated by EMS.
As heavy fire conditions took over the attic and roof areas, command ordered all firefighters from the building and went to an exterior attack using multiple ladder pipes and master streams. The chief also requested two extra engines and one extra truck company and off-duty members to respond to the scene.
It took firefighters over two hours to bring the fire under control.
One occupant from the fire building was transported by EMS to a local hospital for smoke inhalation and it is reported several animals perished in the fire.
The cause of the fire was reported to be careless disposal of smoking material on the third floor porch.
