DERBY — One firefighter was taken to the hospital after an apartment house fire at 23 Derby Ave. Sunday (Feb. 8).
The firefighter might have suffered hypothermia, Derby Fire Department Chief Thomas Biggs said during a 9:30 a.m. press conference.
An estimated seven to 10 people were displaced.
The three-story building housed commercial space on the first floor that is undergoing renovations, the chief said. There were apartments on the second and third floors.
The fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire, which was first reported at about 6 a.m.
Derby Avenue is also known as Route 34. The fire was in the area of the Marie Antoinette Bridal Salon.
Multiple ambulances were asked to come to the scene to help residents who may have suffered from smoke inhalation, according to emergency radio dispatches, but apparently they did not need to be taken to the hospital.
The temperature was 2 degrees with a wind chill making it feel like 12 below. Multiple hydrants were reported frozen, causing Derby firefighters to ask for tanker trucks from Bethany and Seymour. Ansonia and Shelton firefighters were also called to the scene.
“It was really tough at the beginning to find water,” Biggs said.
The fire had been knocked down and out-of-town units were starting to clear the scene as of this writing (8:28 a.m.).
The City of Derby issued an advisory to residents at 8:22 a.m. about the fire’s impact:
EDITOR’S NOTE: At 1 p.m. the city sent a follow up message to what you see below saying Derby Avenue aka Route 34 was open again, power had been restored in the area, and that residents with sediment in their water should run their taps to clear it.
Due to a multi-alarm structure fire at 23 Derby Avenue, the following is taking place:
Several roads have been closed to divert traffic as follows:
1. Traffic from New Haven Avenue (Route 34) westbound toward Derby is diverted to Prospect Street
Traffic from Division Street and Derby Avenue is diverted to Academy Hill Road
Traffic from Main Street (Route 34) eastbound toward New Haven is diverted to Route 8 Northbound
2. Electricity in the area of the fire has been turned off for safety reasons.
3. Due to weather conditions, several hydrants are frozen and there may be interruption in water service.
Sand trucks were being sent to deal with ice on Route 34 at 9 a.m.
The video below was submitted to The Valley Indy’s Derby Facebook page by reader Sheri Dumas (post continues below):
The Red Cross was called to help the residents. School buses were on scene to provide temporary warming shelters.
“Hold all units. We’re going to be here awhile,” the incident commander said over the radio at 6:39 a.m.
“Avoid Rt 34 between AM Bagel and Lowe’s as the fire department is working on a three alarm house fire on Derby Avenue. Route 34 is closed in both ways at this time,” the Derby Fire Department posted to Facebook at 7:19 a.m.
About 11 percent of United Illuminating customers in Derby were without power Sunday at 7:28 a.m. The number was reduced to 5 percent (352 customers) as of 10:37 a.m.
According to United Illuminating’s website, 747 customers had no electricity in Derby as of 6:45 a.m. from one “event.” That event is likely the fire, as UI was asked to cut power to the address. There were also 528 customers out from two ‘events’ in Ansonia, according to the UI website.
Information current as of 3:35 p.m. Feb. 8.
The still images and videos below were posted by readers to The Valley Indy Facebook page.