METHUEN — A two-alarm fire on Spruce Street early yesterday morning sent a woman and her baby to the hospital and left their family of three homeless.

Fire officials said the woman and her 13-month-old baby were taken to Holy Family Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation after they and the woman’s husband were rescued from a porch roof at 20 Spruce St. just after 1 a.m. yesterday. The man was not treated.

“It looks like it started outside on the porch,” he said. “It went up the wall and to the roof.”

The heaviest damage happened to the exterior wall around the side porch and to the roof. The interior had smoke and water damage as well, Hamel said.

Firefighters spotted the family on the roof of one of the porches, nearly hidden by the heavy smoke, Hamel and Deputy Fire Chief Dennis Fragala said.

“They had come out of a window. The crew threw up a ladder and brought them down. They were pretty much invisible in the smoke,” Hamel said.

Eagle Tribune story here