By Angelina Berube
The Eagle-Tribune
KINGSTON, N.H. — A dog died, but all residents and other family pets were able to escape a house fire on Scotland Road on Wednesday evening where firefighting efforts were delayed due to a medical emergency.
Firefighters worked into the night to knock down the fire, Kingston fire Chief Graham Pellerin reported.
Around 5:14 p.m., Kingston Fire headed to 16 Scotland Road for a reported house fire. Automatic mutual aid also responded to the home.
All residents of the two-story home were able to safely get out of the house before help arrived, but there were still some family pets inside, Pellerin said. The home was a total loss.
Within minutes of arriving on the scene, Kingston Fire deployed attack lines and had water on the fire, getting their water supply from the Main Street boat launch.
The fire began to engulf the first and second floors as heavy smoke billowed out of the house. A first alarm was issued for additional help to extinguish the flames.
But the crews delayed fighting the fire after a Kingston firefighter suffered a medical emergency just 15 minutes into the response. Efforts shifted to administer lifesaving measures to resuscitate the downed firefighter.
A Newton paramedic and Kingston EMT performed CPR on the firefighter. He eventually regained a pulse and was transported to Exeter Hospital.
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When mutual aid arrived on the scene, they were assigned to attack the fire. A number of the dogs inside the home were rescued, but one died after escaping the grasp of a firefighter.
Scotland Road was closed to traffic while emergency personnel attended to the incident. Firefighters left the scene at 10 p.m.
Kingston Fire received mutual aid from 16 fire departments including Newton, East Kingston, Danville, Danville, Sandown, Hampstead, Plaistow and Chester. Kingston Police and Kingston Highway Department and the American Red Cross also assisted on the scene.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
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