By Andreas Yilma, Staff Writer
NAUGATUCK — A fire on Monday afternoon displaced nine residents from a multi-family home on Hillside Avenue.
Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 246 Hillside Ave. at 12:42 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Walter Seaman said. Seaman said there was heavy fire outside of the second floor of the home and it was spreading when firefighters arrived a few minutes later.
Seaman said firefighters worked aggressively, but had a tough time battling the fire because it spread into the walls. He said it took firefighters a couple of hours to get the fire completely under control.
“If we didn’t get here in such a short amount of time, it would’ve been a different story,” Seaman said.
No injuries were reported, he said.
The second and third floors as well as the attic sustained fire damage, Seaman said. The entire home had smoke and water damage, he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The three-family home is uninhabitable. It’s owned by Kyle C. Pustola, according to borough records.
Some residents are staying with relatives and the American Red Cross is helping one family, officials said.
Residents Bill Bradley, 28, and Stephanie Hensley, 25, who live on the third floor, were waiting to get inside the house at about 5 p.m. Hensley and Bradley and their young children weren’t home when the fire started. Their two dogs and hamster were rescued, they said.
“The guy from the first floor called me and told me that the house is on fire. I didn’t really expect it to look like that,” said Hensley, referring to the damage caused by the fire.
Hensley said they just moved into the home in June when she was eight months pregnant.
“I hung the pictures of the kids on the wall last night (Sunday), but you know it happens,” Bradley said.
The couple planned to stay with family.
Hensley said people are already offering to drop off items for the baby.
“Honestly, the best way to put it is it’s just a huge bummer,” she said. “We finally found a good place.”
“Yea, it’s rough, but everybody got out OK,” Hensley added. “It’s just material stuff.”
Firefighters from Waterbury, Beacon Falls and Middlebury provided mutual aid.
