Firefighter collapses while battling fire at Kingston, NH, farmhouse
KINGSTON, N.H. - A firefighter was taken to the hospital after suffering a medical issue while fighting a house fire Wednesday. First responders performed CPR on him before he was rushed to the hospital.
Neighbors say they saw flames coming from the second floor of an old farmhouse on Scotland Road in Kingston, New Hampshire, but the entire home turned into a fireball within minutes.
When the fire started just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the fire department said at least four people were in the home. The Kingston Assistant Fire Chief Ken Walker said the home had an apartment attached to it, but it was unclear exactly how many people lived in the home.
"We were just sitting at home eating dinner, and my daughter looked out the window and said, 'I think the neighbor's house is on fire,' and I said, 'Yeah, right.'" Felicia Cooke lives across from the farmhouse. "It was crazy. It went up very quickly. It was very bright. It's sad to see anyone's house go up. Then, you have to worry about yourself, your animals, your belongings. It's heart-wrenching to see that."
The house was a working farm with acres of land and dogs, horses, and goats. First responders were seen carrying animals from the property. The fire department said all animals were accounted for but were taken off-site away from the smoke and demolition.
The people in the home escaped from the building safely. The firefighter's condition is unknown.
Walker said there were no hydrants on this part of Scotland Road. Fire trucks took turns filling up at a nearby lake before returning to the scene and continuing the rotation. Agencies from all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts were called here to help.
"When we arrived, it was heavy fire on the second floor. It didn't take long for it to come right through the roof," said Walker. "That's a very old building, very dry. Once they started going up in the attic, it didn't take long for the operations officer to pull everyone out of that building and go defensive."
The home was deemed a total loss by the fire department. By 8 p.m. Wednesday, an excavator was on the scene, tearing the home down as the fire department sprayed water on the rubble to contain any hot spots.