A man, believed to have been smoking around an oxygen supply, was airlifted to a Boston hospital for treatment of burns after a downtown Haverhill fire early Sunday morning.
The man’s identity was not disclosed, but Haverhill Fire Chief William F. Laliberty said an automatic fire alarm alerted firefighters just before 6 a.m., at the relatively new Wadleigh House for men at 170 Main St., Haverhill.
“As firefighters gained access to the second-floor hallway, they were met by other occupants who responded to the fire alarm activation, noticed the smoke coming from one of the rooms. One of the occupants forced the door open and found the occupant of the room and removed the victim from the room where the fire was located,” according to a statement.
The man was treated at the home for burns they received from the fire by firefighters and Trinity Ambulance. The victim was taken to a local hospital and then flown to a Boston Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Wadleigh House contains 22 single rooms and was built on a lot that formerly was occupied by the Griffin-White Home and later sold to the Haverhill YMCA.