***Victim of Fatal Fire on Amherst Street Identified, Cause Identified as Well***

Manchester Police have identified the man who died in a fire on Amherst St as 60 year old Jerome Crowley. Crowley fell asleep with a lit cigarette which caused the blaze. No one else was harmed in the blaze including a 22 month old child that was rescued (reports that the child had been alone in the apartment were false according to MPD). The fire was ruled as accidental.

Just around 3pm on Wednesday multiple calls came in to 911 about a fire at 305-307 Amherst Street which is right across from Central High. The blaze was contained to the first floor apartment. Upon arriving the firefighters learned that there were people still trapped in the building. They found a 22 month old (pictured below) by the window of an apartment next to Crowley's and rescued her. She was brought right out and right into her mother's arms. She had not been left alone in the apartment as previous reports had indicated.

After clearing the other apartments MFD stated over the scanner that they had one man who was found unconscious in the apartment where the fire was contained. They brought Crowley out to the back porch where it was determined that he would not be able to be successfully revived. The fire was knocked down quickly. It took me 10 minutes from the time the call came over the scanner to the time that I arrived on scene and they already had the fire knocked out.

The fire was ruled as accidental. Crowley had fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in his mouth. He died from smoke inhalation.

Photo credits: EpixStudios

Information sources: www.unionleader.com