Generator Explosion And Fire On 21st Floor Of Manchester High-Rise

MANCHESTER, NH — Manchester Fire, police, and AMR ambulance responded to a report of a fire on the 21st floor of the Brady Sullivan building at 1000 Elm Street on Thursday.

Firefighters responding were advised that a generator on the 21st floor had exploded, and there was a fire from the oil in the generator. On arrival at about 12:50 p.m., firefighters carried high-rise hose packs and began climbing 21 flights of stairs. One of the first crews had a firefighter having a medical emergency on the eleventh floor and summoned additional help.

A second alarm was requested to assist firefighters at the scene, and additional AMR ambulances were dispatched. Firefighters arriving on the 21st floor found a generator with total mechanical failure and oil and fuel from the unit were on fire, causing a large amount of smoke, according to MFD Chief Ryan Cashin.

Crews extinguished the fire while others began ventilating the smoke from the building. Occupants of the building were all evacuating using stairwells.

The building, which has a mix of luxury apartments and offices, was occupied by over 200 people, according to Cashin.

According to Cashin, the firefighter felt lightheaded and was brought to a local hospital for evaluation.

A power failure began in several buildings on Elm Street at about 11:30 a.m.; many buildings were running on generators.

The fire was controlled in about an hour and units cleared the scene a short time later.

Cashin said that the building was turned over to Brady Sullivan and Eversource was at the scene working to restore power. All occupants were allowed to re-enter the building; however, the elevators were not operational.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news