–REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
NAUGATUCK — Two Connecticut Light & Power workers driving to a service call spotted a house on fire Sunday afternoon and immediately called 911.
CL&P workers Skyler Ryng and Paul Klemic saw smoke billowing from a two-family house at 20-22 Orchard St. in the Union City section around 2:30 p.m. The Naugatuck Fire Department arrived within minutes of receiving the emergency call and quickly hosed down flames on a second-story porch that were close to extending into both units.
Nobody was home at the time of the incident, nobody was injured and nobody will be displaced, firefighters said.
Naugatuck Fire Marshal Bob Weaver said he noticed ashes in a garbage bag on the second floor porch where the fire started. He believes that is what caused the fire but is still ruling out other possible factors.
The fire department was able to keep the fire to the exterior of the house by breaking in through the front door and spraying water at the flames from the inside.
“This could have been a very, very bad fire,” said Fire Capt. Vin Healy, adding that two filled propane tanks were next to where the fire occurred. “Another 10 minutes, and it could have been real bad.”
He said the department was on Orchard Street, which intersects with North Main Street, months ago and noticed the house at 22 Orchard St. He said it greatly concerned firefighters because of the conditions of the home — a chimney that is about to fall off and a pellet stove that was venting onto the porch — so they notified the fire marshal’s office and the building inspector.
“We wanted them to make contact with the homeowners and let them know of these issues,” Healy said.
It was unclear whether that attempt at contact was successful. None of the issues firefighters identified contributed to the cause of Sunday’s fire.
However, firefighters months ago devised a plan as to how to attack a fire in that house. They implemented that plan Sunday, Healy said.
The house, built in 1910, is owned by Robert Russett Jr., according to land records.
