2 men injured in Dartmouth house fire

Two Dartmouth, N.S., men were taken to hospital Friday afternoon after a fire gutted their small A-frame home on Thompson Street.

The fire started over the noon hour and spread quickly through the structure located at the end of the dead-end street directly behind Hawthorne Elementary School.

Dave Meldrum, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency deputy chief, said the call came in around 12:45 p.m. AT. 

"Our firefighters were called for a report of a house heavily engulfed in fire," said Meldrum. "Our first unit was here within five minutes and they did encounter a home heavily involved."

Meldrum said crews initially had to "attack from the outside of the building" because of the intensity of the flames. "They put a very quick knock on this fire and brought it under control."

Firefighters also helped the two men who lived there until paramedics arrived. Meldrum didn't know the extent of their injuries but neighbours said both men appeared to have burns.

A firefighter was also treated for minor burns and later released from hospital.