ANSONIA – A firefighter and a resident were hospitalized after responding to a fire on South Cliff Street Monday (Dec. 15).
In a 9:43 p.m. Facebook post, their injuries were described as non-life threatening, according to the Ansonia Fire Department.
The fire was reported at 106 S. Cliff St. at about 5:30 p.m. The first crews on scene saw heavy flames coming from the multi-family, 5,500 square-foot house.
A second alarm was called, with firefighters arriving from Derby, Seymour and Shelton.
Between six and nine residents escaped the house unharmed. The initial call to the fire department reported people possibly trapped inside.
While battling the flames, a group of firefighters became trapped inside the burning building.
“We did have a mayday, and we had probably five that were trapped. We called the mayday, we were able to get them out of the building. They’re all accounted for,” said Ansonia Fire Department Chief Jay Fainer.
The fire’s cause and origin is under investigation by the fire marshal’s office.
Fainer said the cold also presented issues, with the temperature at just 19 degrees.
“The driveway is a sheet of ice. We had one person fall. He was treated on scene, he’s actually still here working,” Fainer said. “But yeah, the temperature is not helping us out.”
The fire was under control as of 7:30 p.m., Fainer said, but crews remained inside the building searching for hot spots. He said parts of the fire proved difficult to find, because the home contains at least three apartments. The structure dates back to at least 1900, according to city tax records.
“It’s divided so many times we’re having trouble finding the fire. It’s in the crevices,” Fainer said.
A neighbor who spoke with The Valley Indy helped one of the families escape and gave them socks and shoes. A resident of the home also spoke, saying she wasn’t home when the fire started but rushed to the scene after receiving word.
An unknown number of pets also escaped the fire. No pets were reported harmed.
Firefighters said the house is not habitable. The Connecticut Red Cross was on scene helping the residents with temporary housing.