Elderly woman pulled from Nashua home fire
Firefighters in Nashua, N.H., rescued an elderly woman from a burning home during a two-alarm fire yesterday morning, while contending with frigid temperatures and clutter inside the home.
The fire broke out about 9:15 a.m. at the single-family home on Lock Street. Firefighters received reports that two people were inside the building, said Nashua Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Karl Gerhard.
“Initially there were two people trapped inside,” Gerhard said. “One re-entered and attempted to rescue the elderly woman.”
Cold temperatures caused ladders to ice up and made conditions slippery and hazardous to firefighters on scene as a second alarm was ordered shortly after their arrival.
“There were no frozen hydrants. Other departments have been reporting frozen hydrants, but we were fortunate in that instance,” Gerhard said. “It makes a challenging situation very difficult.”
Gerhard said an accumulation of belongings made it difficult for the hose stream to reach inside home, which is likely to be declared a total loss from the fire.
Firefighters had to navigate pathways inside the home to reach the occupant, who was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua for smoke inhalation-related issues and later to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Several pets were found in the home, but all died in the fire, Gerhard said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.