Video of fire at 567 Union St. in Manchester by JEFFREY HASTINGS

(Editor’s note: In an unrelated fire, one man was found dead in a fire in a home at 164 Old Center Harbor Road in Meredith at 6:46 p.m. Wednesday.)

MANCHESTER – Fire in a four-story residential building in Manchester has left one person dead, one in critical condition and seven others taken to local hospitals shortly after midnight New Year’s Day.

At about 12:36 a.m. Thursday Manchester Fire Department was dispatched to 567 Union St. for a fire with multiple reports from police on scene of a child in a 4th floor bedroom.

“Truck 6 and T1 members were able to locate the child and remove them from the building and down the aerial device to awaiting EMS personnel,” according to a fire department news release.

There were people trapped on multiple floors and locations within the building and firefighters encountered heavy fire from floors three and four extending to the roof structure with multiple victims on balconies and windows.

 “One occupant jumped from a second-floor balcony, others were brought down by ground ladders as well as Truck 1 and 7’s aerial buckets in both the front and rear of the building.

“The 2nd and 3rd alarms were struck quickly bringing additional resources to the scene to assist with rescue and fire control,” the release said.

Above: Manchester Fire Department called to fatal fire at 567 Union St. JEFFREY HASTINGS photo

All first arriving companies were in rescue mode. “Rescue 1 removed multiple occupants from the structure while others advanced, charged hose lines to assist with rescue operations.”

Winter weather conditions with light snow and ice caused numerous slips and falls. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to incident commander Battalion Chief Kenneth Proulx.

All areas of the building had been searched and cleared of all occupants and the fire was brought under control at 1:50 a.m.

The building housed 40 people and the 10 families were able to shelter at the First Baptist Church located at 536 Union St. Red Cross responded to the church to assist the families.