Attic Fire Breaks Out At New Canaan Home, Quick Response Limits Damage: FD

NEW CANAAN, CT — An attic fire broke out at a New Canaan home last Friday, but a quick response from firefighters helped limit the damage.

On Aug. 7 at approximately 7:53 p.m., the New Canaan Fire Department received an automatic fire alarm for a home in the 20 block of Old Stamford Road.

NCFD units had already been responding to numerous incidents due to a severe thunderstorm in the area, and units arrived on scene within two minutes after dispatch, the NCFD said in a news release.

Arriving units reported heavy fire from the attic of a two-and-a-half-story home. Firefighters forced the front door open, located the attic access, and advanced a hose line upstairs, the NCFD said.

Within six minutes of arrival, firefighters had advanced a hose line into the attic via the interior stairs, extinguishing the fire and completing a search of the home.

The NCFD noted the residents were out to dinner when the fire broke out.

Units then performed overhaul and salvage operations to protect the residents' possessions on the lower floors, the NCFD said.

Following an investigation from New Canaan Fire Marshal Paul Payne, the home was released to the owners. The NCFD did not provide a cause for the fire.

"Damage to the home was limited due to the rapid response and professional actions of New Canaan Firefighters and our mutual aid partners," the NCFD said in a news release, noting the early notification from the automatic alarm.

"Recently, members have been training on new hose stretch configurations and these evolutions were completed with proficiency tonight under adverse conditions," the NCFD added. "The system of early fire department notification with a rapid response of trained firefighters allowed for much of the structure and contents to be saved and for the fire not to extend to nearby structures."

The department thanked its mutual companies and police and EMS for assisting at the scene.