A stubborn fire that began on a vacant industrial property in downtown Shelton before spreading to a neighboring business occupied firefighters from four towns well into the early morning hours Wednesday.
Crews were dispatched to the scene — a two-story, vacant brick building at 235 Canal St. — about 1:30 a.m. after police reported the blaze.
The fire began at the north end of that building before flames spread to the southern end of 255 Canal St., the building that houses Better Packages, Inc., a company that manufactures water-activated tape dispensers and carton-sealing systems.
The buildings are next to train tracks behind a U‑Haul rental center that fronts Howe Avenue. Apex Tool once occupied the building at 235 Canal St.
Shelton Fire Chief Fran Jones said at the scene about 3 a.m. that fire crews were able to knock down the bulk of the fire quickly, but couldn’t access the area inside of the Better Packages building where the fire was concentrated before flames spread between two rooflines, making them harder to extinguish.
“We put a quick knock on it, but now it’s a case of you take an inch, you give an inch,” Jones said. “We’re playing a cat and mouse game of knocking it down once it shows.”
Firefighters from Shelton’s four volunteer fire companies responded to the scene, as well as crews from Derby, Ansonia, and Trumbull’s Nichols Fire Department.
As crews poured water from several ladder trucks onto the smoldering buildings, sheets of ice formed on the pavement outside, causing several slips and falls.
One firefighter who twisted an ankle was sent to the hospital to be evaluated, but the injury didn’t appear serious, Jones said.
No other injuries were reported.
By about 5 a.m. the buildings were smoldering, but Jones said they’d be on the scene well into Wednesday overhauling and looking for hotspots.
As to cause, Fire Marshal James Tortora said it was too early to speculate.
The utilities to the building were shut off, which would seem to rule out an electrical malfunction, he said.
Better Packages employs about 30 people full-time, according to company operations manager Paul Kromberg, who came to the scene about 2 a.m. Wednesday after hearing about the fire.
Kromberg said the company has owned the property for decades. The part of the building that the fire seemed confined to was used mostly for storage, he said.
The age of the building, and the creep of residential development to the south, meant company officials were weighing their options for the property, he said.
“We’ve talked about moving out of this building the last eight years,” Kromberg said. “It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.”
Here is a photo gallery from the fire:
