NASHUA –– A multi-unit apartment building in Nashua was the site of a two-alarm fire that displaced six people on Sunday morning but resulted in no injuries, according to Nashua Fire Rescue.
Firefighters responded to multiple calls reporting a fire at 185 West Hollis St. around 10 a.m., arriving to find the back porches of the building engulfed in flames.
The heat from the fire was causing damage to two adjacent buildings, prompting a second alarm for additional personnel and equipment.
Firefighters faced challenges due to the location of the fire on a one-way street, forcing them to approach the wrong way on West Hollis Street to access hydrants.
Two ladder trucks were deployed to the roof where the fire was venting and spanning from the basement to the attic.
No occupants were found in the building, but several cats were taken to a local animal hospital for treatment.
Once the building was searched, crews were ordered out as the fire expanded rapidly. Water was streamed through holes cut in the roof by firefighters from master streams on the ladder trucks.
As the heavy fire was controlled, crews conducted additional searches and found several small pockets of fire burning in ceilings and walls. Firefighters had to use a ladder to access the basement after the stairs collapsed due to the fire.
The building, verified by the owner to contain three apartments, sustained significant damage but the living spaces in the adjacent buildings were unaffected.
In total, 60 firefighters worked for nearly two and a half hours to control the fire and complete overhaul operations. Fire departments from several surrounding towns and cities, including Manchester, Hudson, Hollis, and Merrimack, responded to the scene, with additional station coverage provided by Londonderry, Manchester, Dracut, Lowell, Chelmsford, and Pepperell. Two AMR units also assisted.
Nashua Fire Rescue responded with six engines, three ladder trucks, special hazards, the mechanical division, and fire investigators. Nashua Emergency Management and the American Red Cross are assisting the six people who were displaced from their apartments.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Nashua Fire Marshal’s Office, Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office.
