One person was hurt in a fire Thursday night in Concord that destroyed a two-story duplex.
The fire was spotted at about 12:15 a.m. by a corrections officer checking security on the grounds of the state prison across the street from the house.
"As soon as I pulled up close, I did see the flames inside the house," Cpl. Sharon Cerretani said.
After calling the fire department, Cerretani and other officers ran over to the house and tried to rescue anyone who might be inside, only to be forced back.
"The smoke was too thick, and we had to back out of the house," she said. "We went around to the rear of the house, but it was just too smoky to get in."
Concord firefighters were able to fight their way in and rescue a man from an upper floor.
"There was no visibility from the heavy smoke," Capt. Ken Folsom said. "We used some thermal-imaging cameras and used a hose to push back the fire, and that was when we found the victim."
The man, whose name has not been released, was found in his bed. Firefighters said they were amazed that the man was still alive. He was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition.
Officials said they believe the man was the only person inside. Firefighters aren't sure how the fire started and are not calling it suspicious, although they said there are some troubling signs.
"For a busy state route, even though it's the middle of the night, you don't expect the fire to get this much of a head start," fire Chief Christopher Pope said. "But with the amount of fire, and we're a quarter of a mile from the nearest firehouse, it's a little unusual."
Pope said that he believes the two-family duplex was equipped with an alarm system, and officials will try to determine if it was working properly as part of the investigation.
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