Trending Topics

Mayday: N.H. firefighters trapped during house fire search

A statement from Professional Firefighters of Keene IAFF Local 3265 said the firefighters were cut off by fire while searching the second floor

By Paul Feely
The New Hampshire Union Leader

KEENE, N.H. — Three firefighters were injured Thursday battling a four-alarm blaze in a Keene home near the campus of Keene State College, officials said.

Keene firefighters responded to a residential structure fire at 20 Elliot St. around 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Reports and images on social media show heavy flames and thick smoke coming from the house.

| WEBINAR: The command blueprint: Build the system, lead the fireground

The Keene Fire Department said the fire was “substantially under control at this time” as of 10:50 a.m. Three firefighters were transported to Cheshire Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Crews were expected to remain on the scene “as lingering flames and similar risks require attention,” fire officials said in a news release. An investigation to determine the cause of the fire will be conducted.

“The mutual aid response of regional fire and EMS staff and apparatus is critical and appreciated both in responding to the scene of the fire and in providing coverage to the community at large,” Keene officials said. “The city is sincerely grateful to all responders.”

Students at Wheelock Elementary School, located on nearby Adams Street, were evacuated and transported to Keene Middle School, to be picked up after lunch, school officials said.

Keene Police said the entire area from the Route 101 intersection at Main Street to the Marlborough Street/Winchester Street Rotary was closed due to the fire.

The same day a firefighter from an adjacent city died in a house fire, I found myself falling through a floor, trapped
Trending
The helicopter used by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 burst into flames while covering a deadly collision between a city bus and an SUV
Minoa added 20 paid firefighters to bolster daytime coverage after its volunteer ranks fell from about 80 members to 30, with fewer than 20 regularly responding
Crews with the Charlotte Fire Department encountered heavy fire in a home under renovation and brought the blaze under control in about 20 minutes
Amendment 3 would expand homestead exemptions while reducing a major source of revenue used by local governments to fund law enforcement and fire services

© 2025 The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.).
Visit www.unionleader.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
How thoughtful fire station design can integrate exhaust removal and clean-air systems to reduce firefighter exposure to diesel exhaust and airborne contaminants