1 person sent to hospital, 10 people lose apartments after Union Ave fire

LACONIA — An early morning fire in a Union Avenue apartment building, on Friday, left 10 adults without a place to live, and sent one person to the hospital with suspected cyanide poisoning from inhaling smoke.

Laconia Fire investigated the blaze, finding it originated near the stove of a second-floor apartment.

“The fire appeared to be accidental in nature,” Deputy Chief Louis Loutrel said.

Firefighters were sent to a structure fire in the 600 block of Union Avenue at 3:56 a.m. on May 29, and arrived seven minutes later. Responding companies learned an occupant in a second-floor apartment woke up to their home on fire, according to a media release from the city fire department.

Crews arrived to find the two-story, multi-family building blowing heavy, black smoke from the second floor. Backup was requested, and firefighters carried out an “aggressive interior attack,” and searched the building. It was hard to see through the smoke, but firefighters located the flames in the second-floor hallways and apartment. They extinguished most of the fire with the initial hose line.

One person was described as “semi-ambulatory,” and taken out of a second-floor apartment and taken to Concord Hospital-Laconia to be evaluated for smoke inhalation. Crews administered a kit to treat “known or suspected cyanide poisoning,” which is a “common and fatal consequence of smoke inhalation from structure fires,” according to the release.

Firefighters with Engine 5 carried out a secondary search, and did not find anyone else in the building.

Laconia Fire went back in to locate any hidden fire and salvage other apartments to prevent further water damage, with assistance from crews from Gilford and Belmont.

Firefighter Andrew Sarnevitz stressed the importance of having working smoke detectors, and said without the early warning, other occupants would have needed rescue.

Loutrel said smoke detectors were working in the building, and were alarming when crews arrived.

“The working smoke detectors alerted the sleeping occupant, who was able to exit the apartment, call 911, and assist in alerting the other occupants to evacuate,” Loutrel said.

Direct fire damage was contained to one apartment on the second floor, and there was heat and smoke damage in the front hallway and stairwell. Loutrel said there was water damage in three other apartments.

“While the fire was a room and contents fire, the amount of smoke and heat produced created a dangerous environment for the occupants,” Loutrel said.

The multi-family apartment building has six units, and the apartment on fire shared a common exit hallway and stairwell with two others, according to Loutrel.

Loutrel said he did not believe there were any children affected by the fire. He said the structure appears to be salvageable, and the back apartments of the building were not affected by smoke or fire.

“The property manager and the American Red Cross were working to help the residents of the building,” Loutrel said.

No firefighters were injured in the blaze. Laconia Fire was assisted by crews from Belmont, Gilford, and Meredith EMS. Franklin, Meredith and Tilton-Northfield provided station coverage. Laconia Police Department also assisted at the scene.