FAIRFIELD, CT, December 3, 2013: At 7:07pm on Tuesday night the Fairfield Emergency Communication Center received a 911 call reporting an attached garage fire with no car inside at 271 Shady Hill Road, followed shortly thereafter by another call from a neighbor reporting “a major fire next door”. Fairfield Fire Engines 1, 2, 3, 5, Ladders 1, 2, and Car 3 responded, with Car 3 first on the scene at 7:12pm confirming the garage “fully engulfed in flame” with all occupants out of the house and calling for a fifth Engine.
Engine 2 and Ladder 2 arrived shortly thereafter and stretched hoselines to the garage, knocking down the main body of fire in the garage which was fueled by several propane tanks that had started to vent flammable gas, pending the arrival of Engine 1 which established a positive water supply from the hydrant. Engine 1 and Engine 3 then extended hoselines up to the main attic where they knocked down fire that had extended in from the attached garage attic as Ladder 1 and Engine 4 ventilated the roof and Ladder 2 secured the gas and electric utilities.
Fire Chief Richard Felner, Fire Marshal Bill Kessler, Building Official Jim Gilleran and Electrical Official Tom Conley were called to the scene, along with a United Illuminating representative to secure the power at the meter, with Westport and Bridgeport Fire Department providing mutual aid resources to cover Fairfield Fire Stations 1 and 2. Incident Commander Assistant Chief Chris Tracy reported a recall at7:51pm, with Engine 5 going back in service at 7:59pm to respond to a chemical odor on Turney Road. Additional companies took up and cleared the scene over the following two hours, with Fire Marshal Kessler, Car 3 and Ladder 2 last units to clear at 10:09pmturning the scene over to the homeowner and their restoration company.
“It was a good, aggressive initial attack with a 2 ½” hoseline by Company 2 led by Lieutenant Eannotti that kept the fire from extending further into the house,” said Tracy, “along with disciplined leadership by Lieutenants Corbo and McHugh on Engines 3 and 1 getting their lines up into the attic before it lit up working in coordination with roof ventilation from Lieutenant Greenhaw with Engine 4 and Ladder 1 and rapid interior overhaul by the Ladder 2 crew. The most important thing that kept the fire from doing more damage, though, was quick thinking by the homeowner in getting everyone out of the house and calling 911 to report the fire. Their good decision to evacuate immediately made it possible for us to contain the fire where we found it.” One firefighter was sent to Bridgeport Hospital for an ankle injury and later released; the fire cause remains under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office.
