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Portsmouth condo fire forces 40 out of building

PORTSMOUTH, NH (WGME) -- Firefighters say a fire that burned through an upscale apartment complex Friday night in Portsmouth started in the chimney.

The fire happened at 135 Bow Street around 6:30 p.m. Firefighters say a fire broke out in the chimney, then spread to the roof, which collapsed, destroying the unit and three others.

Windows were smashed out and the building was covered in ice Saturday from the fire hoses. Firefighters say getting to the fire was difficult because of the layout of the building. They say they had to crawl through skylights just to get to the fire.

Everyone made it out safely and no one was hurt, even though firefighters battled the fire for hours in freezing temperatures.

"We were really lucky. It ended up going to five alarms. There were quite a few firefighters here," said Deputy Fire Chief Carl Roediger.  "We had a lot of issues dealing with ice and pretty cold temperatures, but there were no injuries, either to inhabitants of the building or the firefighters who were on scene."

There are 18 total units in the building and about 40 people live inside.
   
Firefighters were hoping to restore power to the units Saturday that are livable so that the heat will come back on and the owners can return.Portsmouth condo fire forces 40 out of building

Saturday, February 2 2013, 11:17 PM EST

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