Nashua Fire On Christmas Leaves 2 Families Homeless

NASHUA, NH — Two Nashua families were left homeless after a Christmas Day fire at a West Hollis Street apartment building. The fire started the basement of the two-unit building at about 4:30 p.m., according to Nashua Deputy Fire Chief Karl Gerhard. No one was hurt.

Two people were in one unit when the fire broke out and made it out safely, while the second unit was unoccupied, according to Gerhard.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 20 minutes.

"The basement access was a spiral staircase making (entry) for the fire fighters into the basement and stretching the hose lines more difficult," Gerhard said in a statement. "An additional bulkhead was accessed quickly (cut open via power saw) to provide a second access."

The fire rendered the building uninhabitable. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

The families will be displaced for an "unknown time" and Gerhard said the family who made it out of the building stayed with relatives as repairs are made.

Photos: The scene of a fire in Nashua on West Hollis Street Dec. 25, 2018. (Credit: Nashua Fire Department)