Dozens Relocated, But No Injuries In 3-Alarm Nursing Home Fire

AMESBURY, MA — Dozens of of nursing home residents had to be relocated during a three-alarm fire at an Amesbury assisted living facility Friday morning. No one was injured, thanks in part to the efforts of 11 nearby fire departments and other agencies from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Amesbury firefighters responded to an alarm at the Merrimack Valley Health Center shortly after 9:30 a.m. They arrived to find smoke coming out of the first floor on the building's east side.

A shelter-in-place was called for all 105 residents, since a complete evacuation would have been too risky given the limited mobility by many of the residents and the fact the building is on a steep hill. Instead all residents were moved to the building's west side, which is separated from the east by a fire wall and fire doors.

Firefighters struck a second and third alarm simultaneously. Multiple ambulances were called and hospitals told to stand by, but no injures were reported. Firefighters did have to use a special stretcher to bring a patient down two flights of stairs due to the loss of power. The patient had to make it to an off-site dialysis appointment.

The fire appears to have started due to a fan connected to the first-floor HVAC system that malfunctioned, burning insulation. Firefighters used dry chemical fire extinguishers. The building did not suffer structural damage.

The building was ventilated by firefighters.

Fire departments from Salisbury, West Newbury, Merrimac and Newburyport from Massachusetts, as well as Kingston, East Kingston, Exeter, South Hampton, Seabrook and Brentwood from New Hampshire provided mutual aid.

"This was a smooth, well-coordinated response that would not have been possible without the highly cooperative effort by numerous departments and agencies," Amesbury Fire Chief Kenneth Berkenbush said. "The mutual aid network we share with all of our surrounding communities helped ensure that everyone remained calm and avoided injury during this incident and I want to thank them for their consistent support."

The fire is under investigation.

Courtesy photo