PITTSFIELD – A father's heroic rescue attempt to save his disabled daughter in a fire ended tragically this morning when both died in their second-floor apartment at 36 Main St.

Close family friends have identified the victims as Richard Johnston, 54, and Heidi Johnston, 26. Official confirmation will not be available until autopsies are complete.

Arthur Schillinger of 37 Main St. told UnionLeader.com that about 5 a.m. today his doorbell rang and he heard screaming and yelling. The father was at his door, yelling the building was on fire. He had not called 911, Schillinger, because he did not have a phone.

Schillinger quickly called 911 and the father got his son, who lives upstairs from Schillinger, and both ran across the street to the burning building. Schillinger said ran into the burning apartment building; the son wasn't able to get inside.

About the same time, David Maura was in his second floor kitchen in the building next door to 36 Main St. He looked out the window shortly after 5 a.m. and saw flames in neighbor's second-floor kitchen. Soon after, he heard a "whoosh" and the windows in his kitchen shattered. He, his wife and three cats quickly evacuated.

Maura believes when the father ran back into the building, he opened the door to the apartment and let oxygen inside, which fed the flames and created a back draft.

He, too, called 911. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes, he said, but by the time they arrived, heavy flame and smoke were coming from the second floor apartment.

Fire Chief Gary Johnson said firefighters ran into the building searching for occupants. They found one body, he said, but the heat and intensity of the three-alarm blaze put them in danger and forced them out of the building.

Searchers later found one body in the apartment's living room, the other in the bedroom. Johnson believes the daughter, because of the intensity of the fire, most likely died from smoke inhalation and was deceased before her father fought his way back into the building.

He said everyone is accounted for and that three of the four apartments were rented.

Becky Field of the The Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross said they are assisting two single men, who had apartments in the building, with food and clothing. Both men have found lodging with other people, she said. Field said they still need to meet with others.

About 45 firefighters from eight communities battled the downtown blaze and kept it from spreading to other buildings in the heavily congested area.

The victims' bodies have not yet been removed from the building, which may not be stable enough for firefighters to enter.

To disconnect power to the building during the fire, the main line for most of the buildings in the town center was cut, forcing cancellation of today's classes at the middle school and high school are closed for the day.

The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

A father and daughter were found dead in their upstairs apartment at 36 Main Street this morning. (LAUREN SAUSSER)

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Correspondent Lauren Sausser and the Associated Press contributed to this report.