Two individuals in an apartment above Super Floorz had to climb out of a second-story window to escape a fire that cut off access to their home's front door Thursday night.
The two-alarm fire began on the second floor of 19 Lafayette Road around 7:19 p.m., according to Hampton Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Ayotte.
The cause of the blaze was unknown Thursday because low light and hazardous building conditions made it difficult to investigate the fire, although police said the couple were fortunate that they were able to use a fire escape ladder to get out of the apartment unharmed because the area near the door was "all engulfed" when crews arrived on scene.
The fire proved challenging for responding firefighters, as a cluster of low power lines in the area initially made it difficult to get a ladder truck close enough to the building to allow firefighters access to the roof to vent the smoke and flames, according to Ayotte.
"That's a giant lightning rod," said Ayotte, pointing to the Hampton Fire Department's ladder truck. "We're very cautious of that. Ladder placement is one of the most difficult [fire response] strategies."
The area, which is around the salt marshes, also has no fire hydrants, so pumpers had to be used to truck in water. Some units filled their tanks at a hydrant near the Route 1-Route 101 interchange roughly a mile up the road.
It took roughly 30 minutes to subdue the flames, and firefighters were on scene for over two hours Thursday night. Lafayette Road was closed off from the interchange to the Hampton Falls line while crews were on scene.
Ayotte said it was unclear Thursday how much damage was caused by the fire, although the main entryway and the room in which the fire began was "completely gutted" by the flames, according to police.
There was also visible smoke and water damage throughout other parts of the apartment as well as water and smoke damage in Super Floorz, according to Ayotte and police.
The occupants of the apartment were unable to stay in the building Thursday night because of the damage and the fact that the power to the building had to be cut.
Assistance from the American Red Cross wasn't needed, although because the occupants of the apartment weren't able to reenter their home after the fire, Emergency Medical Services Officer Peter Wahl collected some of their personal belongings. That kind of gesture is part of a regular effort by members of the fire department in order to help victims get situated after a loss, according to Ayotte.
Ayotte said Super Floorz will likely be closed for at least a couple of days due to the damage.
Crews from North Hampton, Seabrook, Rye, Exeter, Kensington, Greenland and Stratham also responded to the fire Thursday night. Salisbury, Mass., provided beach station coverage and Portsmouth, Newfields and Seabrook provided station coverage on Winnacunnet Road.
Story originally posted at 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 21.
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