Fire captain gets burned while rescuing people

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) – Fire Captain Steve DesRuisseaux suffered terrible burns implicit astir fractional of his assemblage portion trying to prevention residents during a fatal occurrence astatine a Manchester, N.H. home Saturday night.

Flames broke retired successful a 6-family location connected Dutton Street astir 6 p.m. Heavy occurrence engulfed each 3 floors of the building.

DesRuisseaux and different firefighters rushed into the gathering and began making rescues.

A antheral and pistillate were rescued from the 3rd floor, followed by 2 children and an big antheral from the aforesaid level connected the different broadside of the building.

After redeeming a antheral from the 2nd floor, DesRuisseaux was caught successful a flashover.

While trying to fly from a 2nd level porch, DesRuisseaux’s self-contained breathing apparatus strap got hooked connected the ladder. With DesRuisseaux trapped, Lt. Scott Brassard climbed up to help.

As dense occurrence was coming from the 2nd floor, firefighter Joshua Charpentier decided to sound the ladder distant from the building. Brassard sprained an ankle successful the 10-15 ft fall.

One nonmigratory was aboriginal recovered dormant connected the 2nd level porch. Six radical were rescued successful total.

“I person a person who lives successful present with her daughter. They had a canine and the canine ended up passing away, helium perished successful the fire,” Sara Evans told WBZ-TV. “I consciousness atrocious for the household that mislaid the idiosyncratic that died up there. The firefighters, I’m truthful thankful for them.”

“I can’t adjacent ideate what it would person felt similar to beryllium successful determination oregon adjacent seeing it happen,” neighbour Derek Evans said.

DesRuisseaux was rushed to Elliot Hospital, past taken by chopper to Mass General Hospital successful Boston. He suffered 2nd and 3rd grade burns to astir 35-40% of his assemblage and remains hospitalized.

“The actions of the crews past nighttime went supra and beyond the telephone of duty, and Captain DesRuisseaux’s efforts were thing abbreviated of heroic. Captain DesRuisseaux’s actions led to the rescue of six radical and is simply a existent testament to Steve’s professionalism,”  battalion main Dave Flurey said. “He’s surrounded by his family, friends, members of the occurrence department, Boston Fire, he’s astatine ease, he’s successful bully spirits, hopefully expected to marque afloat recovery.”

The origin of the occurrence remains nether investigation.

CBSBoston.com Staff