Author: Stephen Krauchick

Between 9/5/2011 and 9/8/2011, Fire and Police Department personnel responded to six, late night, residential arson fires. These included:

9/5/2011 – 2318hrs: 349 Stratfield Road
9/5/2011 – 0423hrs: 50 Chatham Road
9/5/2011 – 2345hrs: 50 Chatham Road
9/8/2011 – 0219hrs: 1300 North Benson Road
9/8/2011 – 0259hrs: 321 Woodridge Avenue
9/8/2011 – 0340hrs: 53 Cornell Road

The homes appeared to have been targeted because they were vacant and/or were for sale. Several of the homes were extensively damaged, and in one case, a firefighter was hospitalized with burns he suffered while battling the blaze.

These arson cases were made the top priority of the police department, which ultimately involved the extensive investigative efforts of every detective, along with key support from patrol personnel.

These efforts culminated in the 9/8/2011 arrest of Christopher Message, age 34, of Valley Road, Fairfield, CT by detectives from the Fairfield Police Department. He is being charged with three (3) counts of Arson 1st Degree, and one (1) count of Burglary 1st Degree. Additional charges will be forthcoming. His bond has not been set as of the time of this release. Message is also a suspect in several fires in nearby municipalities, and we are currently notifying those agencies.

The Fairfield Police Department would like to express its gratitude for the extensive assistance provided by the Fairfield Fire Department, the Fairfield and State of CT Fire Marshall’s Office, and the CT State Police Major Crime Squad.

The Fairfield Police Department is confident that Message’s arrest will end this spree of serial residential arson fires.

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Multiple Fires in Fairfield Keeps Multiple Fire Units In The State Busy….One Reported Injury To Firefighter-All homes were up for sale….

DoingItLocal.com started with video reporting of a fire at 1300 North Benson Road shortly after 2:15am and we quickly had to adapt to reporting mode as calls for structure fires throughout the town kept firefighters extremely busy.  The timeline is incredible and fortunately we have record capabilities to stay accurate to the reports!  Here is that timeline as we reported live:

At 2:17am Fairfield Patrol Officer “Red 3” reported a lot of smoke coming from North Benson Road near Fairfield University but could not determine the location.  An alarm was immediately sounded to the fire department.  After further investigation Red 3 found the fire coming from 1300 North Benson Road.   Officer Red 3 quickly noted to fire officials this was a vacant home for sale.   The home blocked by many trees.  When fire department and DoingItLocal.com arrived on scene flames could be seen shooting from the third floor/attic area despite the trees.  Challenges fire officials faced were that the driveway was chained off, the terrain was heavily wooded and the building had been closed for some time and forced entry was necessary.  At 2:33am a fifth engine had been called for to the scene.  Bridgeport Fire Department and Westport Fire Department  at this point provided and the fire marshal was called to the scene.  By 2:48am there were five engines, two ladders and multiple hand crews and all working.  By 2:58am Engine a recall of fire was called but holding all units.  Immediately after the recall was sounded a call for the odor of smoke at 268 Woodridge Avenue was sounded and Bridgeport Fire responded.  As Fairfield Fire units returned to service they responded to this call as well.  Bridgeport Engine 11 found this to be a garage fire at 321 Woodridge Avenue.   Additional mutual aid from surrounding towns was asked for, specifically one ladder and one engine from Bridgeport.  At 3:26am the Assistant Fire Chief requested another fire marshall to 268 Woodridge Avenue.  At 3:34am Bridgeport Fire reported the bulk of the fire was knocked down and reported this was another vacant structure.  At 3:40 am another structure fire was reported at 340 Cronnell Road.

So many calls were reported we went live on Facebook:

3:44am–#ctfire Another garage fire at Cornell Road in Fairfeild. More mutual aid coming in from Norwalk.

#ctfire–We are in report mode not video reporting mode…..Stratfield Road north and southbound closed in both directions.. Major fire at Cornell with exposures into the home.

4;31am…#Fairfield–Burglar alarm at Bank of America–1320 Kings Highway–Not leaving anything to chance in Fairfield today….

4:01am–#ctfrire #Fairfield–Gas company requested to 340 Cornell Road with priority.

4:05am–#ctfire #Fairfield Recall of fire at Cornell Road.

4:47am—#ctfire #Fairfield A person of interest seen leaving Cornell Road in a tan sedan with a white male wearing a white tee shirt and blue jeans headed east on Cornell Road.

4:28AM–#ctfire #Fairfield– Firefighter with a hand burn at Cornell and Statfield Road.

4:47am–#ctfire #Fairfield– Fire Marshal now on scene at Woodridge Ave. fire scene.

 

 

FAIRFIELD, CT, September 7, 2011: The Fairfield Emergency Management Team is issuing the following information to residents who believe they may be eligible for Individual Assistance from FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene: those with damage or losses as a result of the tropical storm are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 800-621-3362, going online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or using their PDA to go to m.fema.gov. Those with speech or hearing disabilities should use the TTY number at 800-462-7585.

“Registering with FEMA is the first step in determining if you qualify for federal disaster assistance,” according to Governor Malloy in a release sent out earlier today; residents who have already provided damage information to Town, State or FEMA representatives must still register with FEMA. In order to receive reimbursement from FEMA, applicants must have no insurance, filed for insurance benefits which were not covered by their insurance, or received an insurance settlement insufficient to meet their losses, according to FEMA’s online information; they may also be directed to file for Small Business Administration loans or other forms of assistance by FEMA.

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center for Fairfield County will be opening on Thursday, September 8th at noon in the Western Greenwich Civic Center at 499 Pemberwick Road to assist home owners and business affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9:00am to 7:00pm and Sunday from 10:00am to 3:00pm. The Center will be staffed with state and federal disaster specialists, including representatives from the Small Business Administration, who will provide information and answer questions about disaster assistance programs.

“I am urging any individual or business who has suffered losses or damages as a result of Tropical Storm Irene to visit a center and work with staff there to review what benefits to which they may be entitled,” said Governor Malloy. “These centers provide an opportunity to get answers to any questions you might have with regard to federal disaster assistance and assistance with application preparation.”

FAIRFIELD, CT, September 5, 2011: At 4:23 this morning the Fairfield Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting “a burning odor” in the area of Woodbine Lane; Fairfield Fire Department Engine 3 responded and reported a working structure fire at 50 Chatham Road with a two-story ranch fully involved. Fire attack was initiated by the ladderpipe master stream knocking down the large body of fire in the center area of the home, according to Assistant Chief Chris Tracy who served as incident commander, after which fire crews were able to complete their searches and confirm initial reports that the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The fire was under control within an hour

We hate seeing summer slip away, our thoughts go back to some fond memories of summer, like the Little League

Champions from 2010!

 

The Fairfield Little League returned home to a heroes welcome at Sherman Green. Parade is scheduled for 2pm on Saturday.

A parade and awards for the record setting number of teams winning from Fairfield Little League.

Fairfield Little League goes down bit against Pearland, Texas team, 14-1, Sunday night in Williamsport. The fans at The Shack restaurant on Post Road in Fairfield stayed to the end to root them on.

NORWALK– Two local men were killed in a single car crash on the Norwalk stretch of the Merritt Parkway early Saturday morning, police and fire officials said. Jason McKinney, 26, of Norwalk, and Jeffery Hinton, 22, of Stamford, were pronounced dead at the scene after their car became airborne and struck a tree near exit 40b……READ MORE…..

Mayor Bill Finch will visit Mitch McManus, Dealer Principal & General Manager and Tim Coughlin, General Sales Manager and the employees of Bridgeport BMW to celebrate the dealership’s recent recognition as a 2011 Center of Excellence by BMW. Known as the No. 1 BMW Parts Shop and Service Center in the Bridgeport area, the dealership was one of only 32 dealerships in the United States, and the only one in New England, to receive the coveted Center of Excellence designation. The dealership was chosen for the honor for its operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

“This honor is well-deserved. Congratulations to BMW of Bridgeport’s ownership and staff for winning this coveted award,” said Mayor Finch. “We’re proud to have such a highly regarded establishment right here in Bridgeport, providing customers from throughout the City and the area with highest level of service.”

A Superior Court Judge ruled that Mary Jane Foster will be reinstated on the Democratic ballot  primary for mayor in the City of Bridgeport.  The primary has been moved from September 13th to September 27th.  No word at this time on the fate of the candidates for education.  Foster’s attorney said they are still reading through the thirty four page ruling.

 

Mayor Bill Finch joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal as he stopped in Bridgeport Thursday morning to obtain an up-close look at the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  “After being hit with a storm unlike any we’ve seen in the City’s recent past, we’re happy to show Sen. Blumenthal the progress we’ve made thus far in our recovery efforts,” said Mayor Finch.”Bottom-line for Bridgeport: leadership was performed and produced. Leadership that was matched by the community; the volunteers, the Red Cross, community organizations all came through, with the police, fire, emergency responders. It is a great story of people coming together in a common cause and I want to particularly thank Mayor Finch for his leadership at a time of adversity,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “I’ve been all around the state, Bridgeport performance was unexcelled in the way it protected its people and produced leadership for its citizens.”

During the City of Bridgeport’s door-to-door mandatory evacuation efforts, approximately 13,000 residents or 4,700 households were reached by the team of 135 fire, police, city officials and other volunteers. The City’s two shelters, Bassick and Harding High Schools housed nearly 700 evacuees including 18 dogs, two cats and a turtle. The City of Bridgeport assisted with the delivery of 3,108 meals, 1,500 snacks and 1,172 bottles of water to locations that large numbers of functional and access needs residents resided.

After a briefing at the City’s Emergency Operations Center, Sen. Blumenthal joined Mayor Finch, City officials and emergency personnel staff on a boat ride through Bridgeport Harbor to view damage caused by Hurricane Irene.The storm, which hit at astronomical high tide on Sunday, left Seaside Park and much of the South End under several feet of water after dropping 6.5 inches of rain on the City and clocking top winds of 60 mph at  Sikorsky Airport.  More than 120 streets suffered some form of storm damage ranging from flooding, to downed trees and/or wires. At one point during the storm, 35,000 UI customers were without electrical service. As Thursday morning, approximately 3,200 households are still without electrical service. Pre-assessment damage costs are estimated to be nearly $10 million dollars.

In his remarks on Thursday, Sen. Blumenthal pledged to, “fight as long and hard as necessary for funds to compensate Bridgeport and every city and town in the state of Connecticut for losses we’ve sustained.”

Mayor Finch added, “I’m confident that Sen. Blumenthal, along U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, will do everything he can to secure the necessary federal aid for those who have felt the impact of Irene in their homes and neighborhoods.”

Hurricane Irene Assistance Tips
Charge Laptops, Medical Devices at City Libraries;

Find Help with Food, Clothing, Reporting Damage, Cleanup Kits

BRIDGEPORT, CT (September 1, 2011) – Following are some assistance tips for City residents to use in the wake of Hurricane Irene. The information is provided in English and Spanish.

Charging centers: If you are still out of power you can charge your computers, cell phones, or medical devices at any of the Bridgeport libraries. Library hours are as follows:

 

Location	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Burroughs-Saden Main Library 925 Broad Street Bpt., CT 06604 203.576.7403	10-8	10-8	10-8	10-8	10-5	10-5
Newfield Branch Library 1230 Stratford Ave. Bpt., CT 06607 203.576.7828	12-5	10-6	12-8	10-6	12-5	Closed
North Branch Library 3455 Madison Ave. Bpt., CT 06606 203.576.7003	10-5	12-8	10-5	12-8	10-5	Closed
Black Rock Branch Library 2705 Fairfield Ave. Bpt., CT 06605 203.337.9676	10-5	12-8	10-5	12-8	10-5	Closed
Old Mill Green Branch Library 1677-81 East Main St. Bpt., CT 06608 203.576.7634	12-5	10-6	12-8	10-6	12-5	Closed

 Food: If you currently receive aid for food (e.g. food stamps, senior food vouchers, WIC) your cards for September have been preloaded and can be used immediately. If they do not work please contact your caseworker. If you need urgent assistance because you are in a target area and you cannot get out to purchase food due to hurricane damage please call Bridgeport EOC to request assistance or to find location of nearest food pantry. For information call the EOC 203.579.3829.

Damage Claims: For any one with hurricane damage or claims please refer to your caseworker- or any social service agency you have current contact with. This is the fastest way to find assistance. You should take photos of any damage.

Flood damage- clothing: If your home has been flooded and you need replacement of clothing or small household items you can go to The Community Closet at FSW Inc. CT, 475 Clinton Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06605. FSW needs a referral letter from a social service agency for you to use the Community Closet. They are open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. -2 p.m.  For more information call 203.368.4291.

Flood damage – property: If your property has been damaged and you rent, or do not have flood insurance, or if you are concerned that your home may not be safe please contact the Bridgeport Health Department’s Housing Unit. They will send someone out to ensure your home is safe.  Please call 203.576.7072.

Clean up kits. Will be distributed in the Fire Department Headquarters parking lot (30 Congress St, Bridgeport) on Saturday September 2, 2011. Times to be determined – please contact the EOC for more information. 203.579.3829.

If you have damage or other urgent needs and do not have a caseworker or social service agency that you are working with please contact Bridgeport Department of Social Services at 203.576.8411.