Residents jump to safety in Ossipee fire; 8 injured

OSSIPEE — Eight people, including a child, were reportedly injured in a blaze that broke out Thursday afternoon in a four-story apartment building in Ossipee. Witnesses and Carroll County Sheriff Lt. Mike Santuccio, running dispatch from the county administration building in Ossipee, confirmed that people were jumping out of windows to escape the flames.

Starting at around noon, Ossipee police were warning drivers to stay away from the area at 455 Route 16 near Baron’s Major Brands.

“The American Red Cross and Town of Ossipee are working closely together to aid all families displaced from this unfortunate event,” Ossipee police said on Facebook.

Witness Tyler Zimmer told the Conway Sun that “people were jumping out of windows” and a baby was thrown by a distraught mother from a window to safety.

Another witness, Kelly Adams, said the building looked “absolutely destroyed.”

She said people told her a woman named Doran Garland caught a baby and some other children in a blanket.

Garland confirmed in a phone interview that she caught children thrown from windows.

Garland, 38, of Wakefield, said she was driving to an appointment in Conway when she saw smoke on Route 16 and a friend standing on the side of the road. So she pulled over to help.

The flames were in the back of the building on the second floor. The building was filling with smoke.

She said the fire was “roaring.”

“I just kind of popped into action,” said Garland, the mother of two girls, ages 13 and 18. She said she got there even before Fire-Rescue arrived.

She asked if people were trapped. “I went around the side of the building and a mother was holding an infant almost out the window on the third story,” she said.

“My first instinct was to catch the baby, and then I saw a blanket.”

Garland said she and four or five other people used the comforter to catch people who were trapped and leaped from the building.

“I have no idea where the blanket came from,” said Garland, guessing that someone probably threw it out the window hoping someone would use it.

She said seeing the baby in that situation was heart-wrenching. But the baby landed safely. A toddler was next out. Then the mom and dad jumped, too, as well as other people and some animals.

She said adults who jumped simply landed on the ground and were injured.

“A man went back in to save his dog; unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” she said.

Fire-Rescue personnel showed up and saved the last person, she said, adding she felt firefighters did a good job.

Hearing the injury total that WMUR was reporting, Garland confirmed that at least three jumpers were injured while she was there. She said maybe others suffered from smoke inhalation or were hurt in other ways.

Garland said one of her friends was taken to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro for smoke inhalation and a shoulder injury.

Before she left the scene, Garland said she met a couple who thanked her for saving their grandkids.

“That was a pretty special moment,” she said, adding that she’s never done anything like this before. “I’m just glad I was able to help with the kids.”

After the people were safe, she said she stayed on scene to help distribute water bottles that were delivered by first responders.

The Sun also saw Ossipee Selectman Sandra “Sam” Martin at the scene. She was helping residents coordinate with the local school district about school bus drop-offs.

Santuccio said Ossipee Corner Fire Department was in charge and that the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office would be investigating. He said a number of southern Carroll County and Maine Fire Department units responded.

According to Ossipee tax records, the complex is owned by Pine Grove Ossipee LLC. Pine Grove’s “2019 Annual Report” filed with the New Hampshire Department of State says Pine Grove Ossipee LLC is a limited liability company in Manchester. Its registered agent is Matthew Loguidice and the manager is Benjamin Gunther.