BRATTLEBORO -- Chris Chico, who along with his girlfriend, father and brother, lost his Rockingham home to a fire on Thursday night, was thankful no one was seriously hurt during the blaze.
"Houses can be rebuilt," he said. "Lives can't."
He wasn't in the house when it caught fire, but his father, Gregory Chico, and his younger brother were.
Chris said his father told him he was drawing a bath when he heard a bang. When he opened the door, all he saw was flames.
Gregory Chico grabbed his youngest son and ran from the house. He tried to douse the flames on his own, but only hurt himself, breaking a couple of ribs falling off the deck.
Chico was taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., where he was listed in satisfactory condition on Friday afternoon.
Chris Chico said, along with the broken ribs, his father also suffered some smoke inhalation, but he expected he would be released from the hospital soon.
The fire at the house across the road from Vermont State Police barracks in Rockingham was called in at 8:55 p.m. on Thursday.
Shortly after the Rockingham Fire Department arrived on scene, a second and third alarm were called.
"We found the home fully involved," said Rockingham Fire Chief Denis Jeffrey.
By the time the fire was under control, at about midnight, a number of other fire departments had responded to the scene, including Bellows Falls, Chester, Springfield,
Saxtons River, Westminster, Proctorsville, West Weathersfield and Grafton, and Walpole, Charleston and North Walpole, N.H.
Golden Cross Ambulance was also on scene.
Jeffrey estimated about 75 firefighters responded to the blaze.
The last piece of equipment rolled back into the Rockingham Fire House at 1:47 a.m. on Friday.
According to the Vermont State Police, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but is not suspicious.
The home, a kit-built log home, stood on the corner of Town Farm Road and Route 103 since 1981, said Chris Chico.
It was built by Art Young.
The Chicos run two businesses next door to their former home -- G. Chico Trucking and Chico Forestry.
In a long building next to the burned-out house are stored snowmobiles and dirt bikes.
Chris Chico rides his sleds competitively and was glad the flames spared his machines.
He extended his thanks to the firefighters who responded to the scene and to everyone who has reached out to help him and his family.
0 comments:
Post a Comment