By Jill Harmacinski
The Eagle-Tribune
LAWRENCE, Mass. — A man was rescued Sunday afternoon after a massive, five-alarm fire ignited in a multifamily home in the 400 block of Haverhill Street.
The fire was first reported at 12:42 p.m. but was still burning more than three hours later and was expected to tie up firefighters throughout the night.
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Fire Chief Patrick Delaney directed Lawrence firefighters and mutual aid crews that came from area communities to help.
Frefighters set up “cascade systems” at the fire scene late Sunday afternoon so they could refill their air tanks, known as self-contained breathing apparatus.
The fire was initially reported at 468 Haverhill St., a large multifamily home at the corner of Margin Street.
Without delay, Lawrence firefighter Dan Sirois rescued a man trapped in an apartment, bringing him out through a window. Sirois was among the first to arrive at the blaze with Lt. Dan Sanzi and firefighter Luis Nova of Ladder 5 with Group 2 of the Lawrence Fire Department.
The rescued man, who remained unidentified Sunday, was not believed to be seriously injured.
Tim Rodriguez was driving up Haverhill Street with his family when he first saw a large plume of smoke and then the man being rescued from the window.
“We saw an elderly man being assisted out of a window by the Lawrence Fire Department. We’re glad to hear he made it out safely,” Rodriguez said.
Other injuries were not immediately reported. Utilities to nearby buildings were shut down during the fire. Traffic was diverted around the area by Lawrence police.
It was unclear how many people were displaced by the fire.
A giant, black plume of smoke was visible from Interstate 495 as well as the Merrimack River in Methuen where boaters were enjoying the sunny, 80-degree weather.
Both the building at 468-474 Haverhill St. and next door at 464-466 Haverhill St. were built about 1920 along with other multifamily homes in the area. The owners are listed as Natasha and Chodhori Haskaj of Woburn, according to city assessing records.
Firefighters responded from communities that included Andover, North Andover, Lowell, Reading, Billerica, Tewksbury, Danvers, Middleton, Boxford, Groveland and Salem, New Hampshire.
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