Propane

The rear of the home at 30 McClintock St., which faces the Piscataquog River, suffered the most damage in a late Wednesday night fire.

A West Side home was significantly burned late Wednesday night in a fire that damaged a 250-pound propane tank and caused the tank's relief valve to melt away, venting the pressurized fuel into the flames, the Manchester Fire Department said.

The fire, which started shortly after 11 p.m., damaged the home at 30 McClintock St., which is located in the Varney Street neighborhood near the Raco Theodore pool.

Arriving firefighters encountered heavy flames coming from the rear of the home, and crews had to train hoses on the tank to both extinguish flames and prevent an explosion, the fire department said in a statement.

"The biggest concern was the propane tank outside the dwelling that we had to keep cool," said Manchester District Fire Chief Jonathan Starr. Once word was received that all people in the dwelling had been evacuated, firefighters moved to a defensive operation, meaning they sent no firefighters into the building.

"That keeps everybody safe," Starr said.

Two adults lived in the building and are staying with relatives. A cat escaped and could not be found on scene.

Online property tax records list the building as a two-family dwelling. The backyard of the property is on the banks of the Piscataquog River.

Starr said the fire started outside the home. The origin is under investigation and has not been classified, he said.

One firefighter suffered from dehydration. Manchester Fire Department estimated the loss at $279,000.

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