Man, Dog Rescued From Burning Building In South Kingstown

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — A man was rushed to the hospital and a dog to the veterinarian early Saturday morning after firefighters rescued them from a burning apartment building, Chief Steven Pinch of the Union Fire District of South Kingstown said.

The 2-alarm fire broke out just before 1 a.m. in the Champagne Heights housing complex at 364 Curtis Corner Rd. When South Kingtown police officials got there, they attempted to rescue someone who was trapped in the building, as fire poured out.

When fire crews got there, they were able to find the man, who they said was unresponsive, in the back bedroom of the apartment. On a second search of the apartment unit, they found a dog.

The man was rushed to a hospital, and the dog to a veterinarian, but Pinch said the condition of both are unknown at this time.

Crews were able to contain the fire to one unit and by 5 a.m. the fire was out and crews were gone. But it was a busy morning: while the crews were working to put out the fire, they got another alarm for a report of a fire at mill building. That turned out to be a false alarm, activated by a problem with the sprinkler system, officials said.

"It is a testament to the UFD and the dedicated members that we were able to handle the initial fire and a box alarm simultaneously without requiring additional mutual aid from outside the town," Pinch said adding he was especially proud of the work by volunteers. "All members of the town’s public safety team did an exceptional job this morning."

The State Fire Marshal is investigating what caused the Curtis Corner Road fire.