TILTON, N.H. (AP) – A police officer rescued one person, but three others were missing and presumed dead in the debris of a community residence for the developmentally disabled that burned before dawn Tuesday in Tilton.

Flames broke out around 5:30 a.m. at 102 Lancaster Hill Road, quickly engulfing the home a local couple shared with three middle-age, developmentally disabled women.

Patrolman William Patten rescued one woman, but was forced back by heat and flames when he tried to search for other residents.

“He attempted to go in, and on the enclosed porch, he found a female struggling and was able to grab her and get her outside,” Police Chief Kent Chapman said. “When he went to go back in, the building was fully involved.”

The woman was treated at a hospital and released for minor injuries. Patten was not hurt and stayed on duty at the scene, playing down his role.

“I don’t feel like a hero,” he told WMUR-TV. “That’s why I’m here and why I do this job, to protect life and safety.”

There was no word on what caused the fire. Fire officials said it not appear suspicious.

Five people lived in the home, a state-certified community residence for the developmentally disabled. Three women, ages 35-55, were placed there by the state, through the Lakes Region Community Services Council Shared Family Living program, said the program’s executive director, Richard Crocker.

He said the couple caring for the women had been with the program for nearly 20 years and were “exceptional.”

Officials didn’t release their names, but relatives at the scene said the home was owned by Trudy Liacos, a Belknap County Nursing Home employee, and her husband.

Family members said Mrs. Liacos was at work on the early shift when her house burned. Her husband and two of the women they cared for were missing.

“It’s people like these who are the real heroes for some people in our communities who need assistance because they are developmentally disabled,” Crocker said. “The kind of support and care and, quite frankly, love that people receive is immeasurable.”

Crocker said the Shared Family Living Program is similar to adult foster care, in which families open their homes to adults with developmental disabilities and help make them part of their community.