A 2-ALARM FIRE IN A NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, apartment building has left nearly 100 people homeless this morning.
The Day / Jensen
The blaze broke out on the 3rd-floor of the 36-unit building and quickly got up into a false attic where a peaked roof had been built over the original flat roof. When the first-alarm units arrived, the fire was growing rapidly and they FF’s were faced with a major rescue challenge with 30 to 40 people trapped in their apartments.
Fire attack was delayed as all hands were devoted to the evacuations. “While we were doing that, we couldn’t extinguish the fire, so it did get ahead of us a little bit,” New London Fire Chief Ronald Samul told reporters. Approx. 6 people were brought down via ground ladders and so far only three injuries have been reported, all of them civilians suffering smoke inhalation.
The fire started around 10 pm Tuesday night and it was called under control at 2:30 am Wednesday. Chief Samul said the city’s hydrants were running at maximum capacity and “we’re taking every drop” as firefighters battled the blaze.
This video report from The Day has good fire footage and an interview with Chief Samul:
The Day also has a written report HERE.
New London Firefighters L-1522 WEBSITE.
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