Fairfield, CT – A phone call from an alarm monitoring company and an eyewitness dialing 911 resulted in an early morning fire department response that saved the majority of a Greenfield Hill residential home from fire on Old Academy Road early Labor Day morning.
A call was placed into the Fairfield Emergency Communications Center reporting a residential fire alarm activation at 4:05 AM. Soon after that first call was received, a second 911 call from a Dunham Road resident was received indicating that she could see flames in the woods behind her home.
Engine 5, under the command of LT. Calandriello, promptly arrived on the scene to find the front of the home engulfed in flames. Quick hoseline application spared the majority of the home and confined the fire. Rescue Company 1, stationed at the Reef Road Fire House, arrived on the scene next and searched the home in high heat and zero visibility for any occupants that may have been trapped or possibly overcome by fire, toxic smoke and carbon monoxide.
“It was the monitored fire alarm system and the actions of an early morning caller that summoned the town’s 23 on-duty firefighters to the scene," says Assistant Chief Erik Kalapir. “Luckily, the occupants of the residence were not home at the time of the fire, and we estimate our actions may have saved four hundred thousand dollars in value related to structure, property and personal items.
Fairfield Fire-Rescue units responded and arrived nine minutes after dispatch. The fire was extinguished and the toxic smoke was ventilated from the structure. Additional agencies on scene were American Medical Response for pre-hospital medical standby, United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and the Fairfield Police.
The fire is currently under investigation by Fairfield’s Fire Prevention Division with assistance by the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosives Investigation Division.
Bridgeport and Westport Fire Department units responded into Fairfield for fire station coverage.
Photo Credit: Fairfield Fire-Rescue
A/C Erik Kalapir
"C" Platoon Commander
Fairfield (CT) Fire Department
Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team