Firefighters Rescue Woman and Dogs from Burning Home

Portsmouth firefighters did a "really good job" in the wee hours of Thursday morning when they rescued a woman and her two dogs from a burning home at 110 Leslie Drive.

"It was as good a job as I've seen in my 27 years" with the department, said Deputy Chief James B. Heinz.

According to fire Capt. William McQuillen, the woman was unaware her home had caught fire. Her neighbors reported the blaze around 2:12 a.m. The first engine arrived in five minutes. Fire crews found heavy smoke and fire in the attached garage and the breezeway and saw smoke pouring from the eaves over the house also. The neighbors told firefighters a woman might be inside.

Although a car was in the driveway, no one in the house answered, McQuillen said. Ultimately, firefighters had to force their way inside the smoke-filled house, find the woman and then carry her and her two dogs to safety.

"Visibility was limited," due to the heavy smoke, he said, but added these are situations the firefighters train for.

"They're used to these types of conditions," he said.

He could not say if she was conscious when rescued.

"But she had to be removed," he said.

The woman was suffering from smoke inhalation and was taken to Portsmouth Hospital.

After she was rescued, McQuillen said firefighters placed the dogs in a fenced back yard until they could put the fire under control. They started the hose lines and worked until the fire was out at 3:42 a.m.

One firefighter suffered a leg injury. He was taken to Portsmouth Hospital and released.

McQuillen said there was "significant fire and smoke damage" to the garage and some damage to the main house.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.

Fortunately, the fire was reported and the engines arrived before "the fire had cut off anyone's ability to escape," he added.

Engine 1 and Engine 3, Tower 5, two ambulances, fire prevention and three chief cars were on scene, according to the incident report, fire Chief Chief Steven E. Achilles said. Also responding were units from Kittery, Rye and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.