Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Manchester firefighter has his work cut out for him as he steps to the end of the ladder to try and beat back the heavy fire and smoke coming from the top floor of the Dutton Street apartment building. One civilian was killed and a fire captain seriously injured in the blaze. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

MANCHESTER — The multiple-alarm fire that claimed the life of a civilian and injured two others as it raced through a six-unit apartment building on Dutton Street Saturday evening came close to taking a second life — that of a fire captain who officials said became “engulfed in flames” just after he entered the flaming structure to rescue a man.

Capt. Steve DesRuisseaux, commander of Engine 11, was directing his crew to begin “external operations” to knock down the heavy flames from outside the building when his attention was drawn to several residents trapped on the third floor.

DesRuisseaux immediately “notified all personnel

that they would be in rescue mode,” then “made entry into the building,” Fire Chief Andre R. Parent said in a statement issued Sunday.

At that point, Parent said, Battalion Chief Dave Flurey assumed command and directed arriving crews to set up ground ladders to conduct rescue operations. The crew of Ladder 1 rescued a man and a woman by ladder from the third floor, while DesRuisseaux’s Engine 11 crew and and personnel on Rescue 1 rescued two girls and a man from the front of the building.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Thick, dark colored smoke billows from the upper floor of the Dutton Street apartment building where a multiple-alarm fire claimed the life of one person and seriously injured two others, including a fire captain who suffered extensive burns. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

Two ladder truck crews, meanwhile, set up a ladder to the second floor on the back of the building, where they were able to pull a man to safety.

It was then, according to Parent, that DesRuisseaux was suddenly engulfed in flames, the result of a condition known as a flashover, in which the entire contents of a room or enclosed area rapidly, and simultaneously, ignite into a ball of fire.

DesRuisseaux, according to Parent, attempted to “bail” from the second floor porch, but as he did so a strap on his self-contained breathing apparatus — SCBA — got caught on a ladder, trapping him.

As Lt. Scott Brassard raced up the ladder to try and free DesRuisseaux, Parent said, firefighter Joshua Charpentier noticed heavy fire coming from the second floor toward DesRuisseaux, and “made the decision to knock the ladder away from the building to prevent further injury” to DesRuisseaux.

Parent said the men fell about 10-15 feet, and although Brassard suffered an ankle injury, he continued to work at the scene, Parent said, and sought medical attention “after the fact.”

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Manchester firefighter prepares to attack the heavy flames coming from the top floor of the Dutton Street apartment building in the multi-alarm fire that claimed the life of a civilian and seriously injured a fire captain. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

AMR ambulance paramedics immediately began treating DesRuisseaux, and rushed him to the Elliot Hospital.

He was then transferred via medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for treatment of what Parent described as second- and third-degree burns to approximately 35% – 40% of his body.

DesRuisseaux and his crew, who were returning to the station from a medical call when the dispatch went out just after 6 p.m. for a building fire at 8-10 Dutton St., were the first ones on the scene.

The body of the civilian who was killed in the fire was located on a second-floor porch, officials said.

They said an autopsy is scheduled for Monday to confirm the victim’s identity, as well as the cause and manner of death.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS Firefighters battling the multi-alarm fire in Manchester are obscured by the heavy smoke they encountered after reaching the roof of the building. A civilian died and a fire captain seriously injured in the blaze. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)

The investigation into the origin and cause of the fire is “active and ongoing by members of the state Fire Marshal’s office and the Manchester fire and police departments,” officials added.

Crews from 11 communities, including Nashua, Hudson, Merrimack and Litchfield, responded to Manchester to either work at the scene or cover empty Manchester stations.

Meanwhile, Flurey, the battalion commander, said in a statement that the “actions of the crews went above and beyond the call of duty.”

He described DesRuisseaux’s efforts as “nothing short of heroic,” noting that his actions, which “led to the rescue of six people,” are “true testament to Steve’s professionalism.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS A Manchester police officer carries a young boy to safety after he was rescued from the burning apartment building on Dutton Street during Friday evening's multiple alarm fire. One person was killed and two injured, including a fire captain who suffered extensive burns. (Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS)