Rochester home saved in fire (and bunny, too)

Oct. 9--ROCHESTER -- Quick thinking and action helped save a Washington Street family's home Wednesday morning, as well as a beloved pet rabbit, according to Fire Chief Mark Klose.

Klose said a fire at 101 Washington St. was reported at 7:36 a.m. by city code officials Bob Veno and Joe Devine as they performed inspections in the area.

"They came by, they smelled something in the air, they knew something wasn't right, they turned around, came back and they discovered the smoke was coming out the front door," said Klose.

Arriving companies found the one-alarm fire started in the 1 1/2 -story home's basement, in an area with multiple appliances. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Klose.

Klose said arriving companies used hand lines to quickly knock down the fire and prevent the home from being destroyed, but he said "significant" heat and smoke damage to the first and second floors will make the home uninhabitable until repairs are made.

The four adults and six children who live in the home are working with their insurance company to find a temporary place to live, according to Klose.

Only one adult was home at the time the fire began, while the other residents had already left for work or school. Klose credited the home's smoke detectors for alerting the resident and allowing them to exit safely.

"We had everybody accounted for," said Klose. "We were missing a bunny, but we found the bunny in the basement (during a secondary search), and the bunny's alive, so that's a good thing."

Crews cleared the scene and Washington Street reopened a little before 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Dover, Somersworth, Milton, Farmington and Durham all provided mutual aid assistance at the scene. Barrington and Farmington provided station coverage.

Klose said his department was able to respond quickly because Engine 3 was already on the Spaulding Turnpike en route to assist Engine 5 at The Ridge for a fire alarm activation at Marshall's when the Washington Street call came in. Engine 3 was just south of Exit 13 when the call came in, allowing it to hop right onto Washington Street at be at the scene in a matter of moments.

"If you were to look (for) a perfect scenario, this was a perfect scenario," Klose said, describing all of the factors that contributed to Wednesday's outcome.

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