Crime & Safety
VIDEO: Firefighters Battle Massive Junkyard Fire In Southington: UPDATE
Firefighters battled the fire for six hours over the weekend, with smoke visible for miles due to a gas storage area going up in flames.
SOUTHINGTON, CT — It was quite a Saturday morning in Southington, with residents/motorists treated to massive plumes of smoke visible for miles and sirens.
In fact, firefighters from multiple departments in the area spent about six hours battling a massive inferno Saturday morning at Chuck & Eddie’s Used Auto Parts on Old Turnpike Road, according to the Southington Fire Department.
The department was dispatched to 450 Old Turnpike Road at 9:12 a.m. May 30 after receiving reports of a large fire in the yard.
Find out what's happening in Southingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
While en route, Car 4 requested the town’s "working fire protocol" after a large column of smoke became visible from fire headquarters, wrote the SFD in its final report over the weekend.
Upon arrival, Car 4 found a significant fire involving a gasoline storage area surrounded by stacked sea containers and established command, the SFD said.
Find out what's happening in Southingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Incident commanders directed Truck 1 to begin aerial firefighting operations and requested foam resources through fire dispatch.
Squad 5 supplied water to Truck 1, allowing crews to begin suppression efforts, wrote the SFD.
Firefighters used water and foam to extinguish the blaze and then conducted extensive overhaul and monitoring of the affected area.
Additional foam resources were provided by the Hartford Fire Department and New Haven Fire Department.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and an environmental consultant were also requested to respond.
American Medical Response provided EMS support at the scene.
Southington units operating at the fire included Car 4, Car 1, Squad 5, Truck 1, Engine 12, Engine 21 and Service 1, along with additional foam resources.
Mutual aid at the scene was provided by the Meriden Fire Department and Bristol Fire Department.
During the incident, station coverage in Southington was provided by the New Britain, Cheshire, and Plainville fire departments.
Additional coverage was requested from the Wolcott and Kensington fire departments because of multiple simultaneous incidents in town.
The fire was successfully extinguished, and all units have cleared the scene, according to the fire department.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Southington Fire Marshal’s Office. No injuries were reported.
"Southington Fire Department would like to thank our mutual aid partners, dispatch personnel, state foam assets, and all agencies that assisted during the response," wrote the SFD.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
