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Update 10:10 a.m.:
NORWALK, Conn. A blazing inferno has destroyed at least four apartments in a Norwalk condo building and sent two people to Norwalk Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, Norwalk Fire Department Deputy Chief Edward Prescott said.
Firefighters found the building at 8 Oakwood Ave. fully involved when they arrived at about 6 a.m. Residents suspect that a neighbor caused the fire when he fell asleep in a chair with a burning cigarette in his hand. Two cats died. Residents of a neighboring building said it had been damaged by smoke.
Red Cross personnel say all the residents of the Silver Ridge Townhomes building have insurance and a place to go. Residents say smoke detectors saved their lives.
Firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze at about 9:30 a.m., as little pockets of fire reignited. One resident lost all of his belongings in the blaze except a set of keys. One woman lamented the loss of her wedding photos, and a man said a dog had helped him escape.
Prescott said every firefighter in the city responded. Westport Fire covered Norwalk, and Wilton and New Canaan fire departments sent crews to fight the blaze.
Original story:
NORWALK, Conn. A blazing inferno has destroyed a three-story condo building in Norwalk and displaced many people, according to Rick Reardon, a resident at the scene. Reardon describes it as one of the largest complexes in Norwalk, and many people have been displaced.
Firefighters found the building on Oakwood Avenue fully involved upon their arrival at about 6 a.m. "The biggest challenge they had when they got there was to make sure they got all the people out," Reardon said.
Live ammunition in one of the back apartments complicated firefighters' efforts. Fire crews and ambulances from surrounding areas responded to the scene. Wilton and New Canaan sent crews. "There were actually firefighters on their way to work who stopped at the fire," he said. "They used their new 1,500-feet feeder hose."
The Daily Norwalk will update this story.
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