Boston firefighters rescued a man trapped on the second floor of a Hyde Park home Friday, crawling through heavy smoke and flames as they responded to a raging three-alarm fire, fire officials said.
The man was listed in critical condition at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital after he was carried out of the two-and-a-half story building at 36 Lexington Ave., Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
The blaze broke out about 12:10 p.m. and quickly went to three alarms. Firefighters arrived to see heavy flames in the rear of the building.
Firefighters immediately went to the second floor and heard a man mumbling amid the heavy black smoke, according to MacDonald and Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn.
“They searched in zero visibility on their hands and knees with fire roaring over their heads,’’ MacDonald said. “The firefighters managed to pull him up out of the flames and carry him down the stairs.’’
Firefighter Bem Clairborne said he was one of two firefighters who rushed into the burning house.
Donning thermal gear, including helmets, jackets, and gloves, plus masks and tanks of air strapped to their backs, the pair entered the home and made their way up the stairs to the second floor.
They had their masks on and were breathing from their personal air supplies, and by the time they reached the second floor, the heavy smoke meant low visibility, he said.
“Your’re on the floor on your hands and knees, feeling your way around,’’ Clairborne, 40, said by telephone after returning to the station.
They were there a short period of time when Claiborne’s fellow firefighter heard the muffled sounds of the injured man. They worked quickly to pull him out of the apartment and carried him down the stairs.
The firefighters didn’t wait for their hose to be charged before entering the home. Claiborne said he was focused on doing his job and didn’t think about the danger.
“Anyone would do it, any firefighter,’’ said Claiborne, a firefighter for 17 years.
Finn applauded what he described on his Twitter account as “outstanding work by Engine 48 rescuing a resident from the 2nd floor before they had water available. They saved a life!!!’’
Finn said an off-duty EMS superviser started working on the man along with firefighters until an ambulance rushed him to the hospital.
A firefighter also went to the hospital for treatment of possible heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation.
Four adults and two children were displaced by the fire, which caused an estimated $400,000 in damage, MacDonald said. Fire officials said investigators were focusing on the rear of the building in their search for a cause and point of origin.
Mike Bello of the Globe Staff contributed to this report. John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.
