Hyannis woman pulled from apartment fire, seriously burned

November 02, 2011|By Amanda Cedrone, Globe Correspondent

An elderly Hyannis woman was rescued Monday night by two police officers and two firefighters who braved flames and smoke to pull her out of her burning apartment, officials said.

Helen Levesque, 84, was flown by a MedFlight helicopter to an undisclosed Boston hospital where she was being treated yesterday for burns over 80 percent of her body, officials said. Her condition was not released.

An investigation by the state fire marshal’s office and the Hyannis Fire Department indicates the four-alarm fire was caused by Halloween decorations on Levesque’s deck. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the hay bales and clothing in the display to catch fire, the fire marshal’s office said.

The fire broke out in the woman’s third-floor unit in the 290 West Main St. complex around 11:20 p.m., according to police and fire officials.

At the time, Barnstable Deputy Police Chief Craig Tamash and Mashpee police Officer James Dorman were working at a road construction detail nearby, and they rushed into the 110-unit complex after hearing that the Fire Department was responding to a possible fire.

“People were yelling at us that there was somebody trapped in the apartment,’’ Tamash said.

The officers ran to the third floor of the complex, which houses tenants over age 55, and alerted residents to the danger. They also tried to enter the unit where the fire apparently started.

“They couldn’t get the door open because the woman passed out and was unconscious up against the door,’’ said Sergeant Sean Sweeney, a Barnstable police spokesman.

The officers then focused on evacuating other residents. As the officers and other residents headed downstairs, Hyannis Fire Captain Eric Kristofferson and Firefighter Nathaniel Coughlan were coming upstairs, carrying a firehose.

“They could hear someone moaning behind the door,’’ said Hyannis Fire Captain William Rex. “They went in, and made the rescue.’’

The two firefighters carried the woman down three flights of stairs to a waiting ambulance. She was stabilized at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis before being transported to Boston.

“We tried [to rescue her] and got beaten back,’’ Tamash said. “And they’re the ones that got her out… . A lot of the credit goes to the Hyannis Fire Department.’’

Both police officers were taken to Cape Cod Hospital to be treated for smoke exposure. Five civilians were also taken to the hospital for evaluation.

At least 14 units in the development are now uninhabitable because of fire, smoke, and water damage, Rex said.

He said the complex did not have sprinklers, having been built before they were required. The building’s fire doors, which closed automatically, helped to prevent the spread of smoke.

John R. Ellement of the Globe staff contributed to this report.