Residents had to scramble to escape a house fire Christmas Eve morning in Fairfield, Connecticut.
According to a release from the department, a teenage girl awoke to neighbors screaming for help while attempting to escape from a second-floor window during the early morning fire on Puritan Road in Fairfield. A husband and wife had to make a life-threating exit due to toxic smoke and fire on the first floor. The Fairfield Emergency Communications Center received the first phone call from the teenage girl across the street at 7:56 a.m. Monday morning, alerting fire department units to respond. Engine Company One, under the command of Lieutenant Richard Kazzi, arrived on scene within four minutes of dispatch. His crew started advancing a hoseline into high heat and smoke on first floor to attempt to contain and then extinguish the fire.
A member of Rescue Company One suffered a second degree burn to his face while conducting a search for life on the second floor above the fire. The firefighter was treated and released by the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Unit.
“Unfortunately, this is now the third fire where residents were trapped on the second floor in recent history,” said Assistant Chief Erik Kalapir. Last year, a fire on Morehouse Lane occurred on Christmas Night, and in September 2017 a fire occurred on Old Post Road; both fast moving fires forced occupants to jump from second floor windows. Kalapir said, “Fires are burning hotter and faster due to modern day residential furnishing, and residents have limited time to get out. Early response times by firefighting forces are essential, and families need to practice emergency exit fire drills in the home.”
American Medical Response treated the injured fire fighter on scene and transported him to Bridgeport Hospital. Bridgeport and Westport Fire Department units covered unmanned stations for immediate fire protection. The fire is currently under investigation by the Fairfield Fire Prevention Division and the State of Connecticut’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
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