White River Junction
Robert Perigny and his visiting girlfriend, Belinda Daniels, ran down the stairs of his second-story Crystal Place apartment in White River Junction once they realized the building was on fire, and rushed to move his pickup truck. When they did, Perigny suffered burns to his left arm.
He declined treatment at the scene, a paramedic said.
The fire, which ripped through the old building, broke out around 2:45 p.m. and burned for more than two hours before firefighters called it under control shortly before 5 p.m.
Dozens of onlookers poured onto Hazen Street, which runs along the backside of Mascoma Savings Bank in White River Junction, to catch a glimpse of the burning building. A plume of dark smoke could be seen for miles.
The building is owned by Michael Magnus, who said he is a 66-year-olddisabled Vietnam veteran. Magnus occupied the other apartment inside the building with his cousin.
Both were home at the time of the fire, but got out safely. Magnus’ three cats are believed to have perished in the fire.
Magnus said he was getting up to get a drink from the kitchen when he “saw fire.”
“I hollered to my cousin to get out,” he said, visibly shaken.
He has owned the building since 1986.
Magnus’ and his cousin’s vehicles both were parked in the driveway and were ruined by fire.
Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney said the house suffered “significant damage” and likely will need to be demolished.
Magnus said he has family in the area, but didn’t know where he would stay in the immediate future. The Red Cross was on scene assisting.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Cooney said. Officials believe the fire started on the building’s front porch.
When fire crews arrived on scene, the front of the house was on fire and flames were threatening two propane tanks near the building.
Firefighters entered the second floor of the building to search for pets, but quickly turned back as flames intensified, Cooney said.
Roughly 20 minutes after they arrived, what sounded like rapid gunshots sent people scampering away from the house.
The chief said the noise was from a propane tank that exploded.
The second tank was still leaking fuel on Wednesday evening.
Perigny said he was sleeping when the fire broke out.
If it hadn’t been for Daniels, who was in the apartment at the time, he said he may not have made it out alive.
“It went up fast. We barely had time to get the truck out of the driveway,” he said.
Perigny said he has rented his apartment from Magnus for about three years with “no problems.”
He said he was thankful no one was injured.
“Things can be replaced,” he said.
As Perigny talked with a reporter, heavy smoke permeated the area near the house.
A thick tree canopy trapped smoke in the area, making it hard to breathe and see at times.
Several houses sit within a stone’s throw from Magnus’ building. Frank Watson owns the house directly across the street.
Watson said he was in his backyard on Wednesday afternoon when his 9-year-old son, Cruz, came outside and asked for lunch.
The boy made a reference to some sort of fire on the neighbor’s front porch, but Watson just shrugged it off, he said.
When Watson turned around minutes later to go inside to make lunch, the “whole sky was black,” he said.
Fearful that a drifting ember might ignite his own house, he began hosing down its exterior while he sent his son to Magnus to yell “Mike!” as loud as he could. Watson said he wasn’t sure what prompted Magnus to come outside, but he said he did just in time.
Watson has been Magnus’ neighbor for a few years.
He said his father used to work with Magnus at the White River Junction VA.
“This guy is a great guy,” Watson said. “Just a really great guy. He’d give his soul to anybody.”
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.