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Firefighters Rescue 16 Assisted Living Residents From Braintree Fire

BRAINTREE (CBS) - A four-alarm fire at an elderly housing complex in Braintree left more than a dozen residents homeless on Sunday morning.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports.

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The blaze started around 2:30 a.m. in a mulchy area outside the building and it quickly spread to all three floors.

In all, 16 assisted living residents at Grove Manor Estates had to be rescued from their burning apartment, which was no easy task for firefighters.

Some residents have Alzheimers, while others can't get around at all. As a result, firefighters had to carry some of the residents down three flights of stairs.

Grove Manor Estates
The fire broke out at the Grove Manor Estates early Sunday morning.

"A bunch of residents were lying on the floor immobilized. We found many of them lying on their beds in smoke-filled rooms immobilized. So, we did an extensive, multi-room search-and-rescue and evacuation," said Dep. Fire Chief Dan MacDonald of the Braintree Fire Department.

Jack Morris, one of the residents who was rescued, is thankful he's still alive.

"I don't think I'd have made it without him. He grabbed a hold of me, and I grabbed him too," said Morris.

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