Will Katcher
masslive.com
BOSTON — After becoming engulfed in flames and suffering severe burns across 40% of his body while conducting a rescue during a Saturday night house fire, Manchester, New Hampshire Fire Captain Steve DesRuisseaux is recovering at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
But with Manchester a lengthy drive from the medical center, Boston firefighters are paying for a local hotel for DesRuisseaux’s family, WCVB reported, allowing the fire captain’s loved ones to be closer to him as he recovers.
At roughly 6 p.m. Saturday night, Manchester firefighters were dispatched to a multifamily home for a heavy fire across all three floors of the building, the Manchester Fire Department said.
DesRuisseaux noticed people trapped on the top floor and began a rescue, and firefighters were able to rescue six people from the building. After rescuing an adult male, DesRuisseaux became engulfed in flames and attempted to leave the home via the second floor porch, the department said. But his breathing apparatus became caught in ladder, trapping him.
Lt. Scott Brassard climbed the ladder, attempting to free DesRuisseaux, officials said. When he was unable to immediately do so, and with flames now threatening both men, a firefighter on the ground knocked the ladder away from the building, sending the pair tumbling 10 to 15 feet to the ground.
https://twitter.com/ManchesterFD/status/1457428282085978118
DesRuisseaux was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester with second-and-third-degree burns across more than a third of his body before being flown by medical helicopter to Boston, authorities said. Brassard sprained his ankle in the fall but continued working.
“[DesRuisseaux] has a long road to recovery,” Battalion Chief Dave Flurey told WHDH. But the captain, he said, is conscious, alert and in good spirts.
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