LAWRENCE — A fire that broke out just minutes after midnight today left at least 19 residents homeless and escalated to three alarms early this morning.
Initially, there were concerns that a baby was left inside the 21/2-story wood-frame apartment house when firefighters responded to the first alarm at 12:03 a.m. as flames engulfed the second-floor rear section on the right side of 181-183 Bailey St.
"Thankfully, the baby was located," said Lawrence fire Chief Peter Takvorian as his crew battled the blaze.
"We think there's upward of 19 people out of the building. As far as we know, everybody got out," the chief said.
Police blocked off Bailey Street at the intersections of South Union and Phillips streets as firefighters encountered water pressure difficulties.
Ladder 4's 110-foot aerial truck was brought in to spray the top of the house as the flames soared toward the roof.
A crowd of more than 100 people, many of them residents of the neighborhood and friends of the people left homeless, lined the street in front of the burning house.
With the house flanked by homes on both sides, Takvorian said his crews were worried about possible exposure to the other buildings.
Firefighters were concerned about the chimney toppling to the ground. It fell shortly after 1:30 a.m.
"I came home to find I had lost everything," said a man who lived on the second floor.
"I just don't know," he said, turning away as he was consoled by friends.
Takvorian said fire crews had to draw water from Osgood and Salem streets, and Osgood and Bailey streets to compensate for the water pressure problems that hampered efforts.
Within six minutes of the first alarm, the fire escalated to a third alarm. The initial crews searched the first and second floors to make sure the building was cleared of tenants.
