ANSONIA – No injuries were reported from a fire on Beaver Street this morning (Sept. 29).
The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.
A call came in around 5:13 a.m. reporting a house fire on the 200-block of Beaver Street. About three or four residents were home at the time, according to Ansonia Fire Chief Jay Fainer, but all had managed to escape the burning building before firefighters arrived.
Responding crews found a fire working its way through the basement, which appeared to be used as storage for a business. Firefighters were able to keep the fire to the basement and put it out before it could spread to any other floors, Fainer said.
“The guys made a really good, aggressive attack and stopped it quick,” Fainer said.
Complicating the response – a nest of white-faced hornets, situated on a tree just outside the home.
Fainer said the hornets began waking up as crews were tackling the fire. He called in a pest control company to get the nest under control.
“That’s when I called for Pest Champions to come out and help us out, because they were attracted to our lights, apparently. They started waking up, and they started going after my guys,” Fainer said.
Fainer said no firefighters were injured, either from the fire itself or the hornets.
After the fire was put out, firefighters were able to pack up and leave the scene by around 6:15 a.m., according to Fainer.
Mutual aid and assistance was also provided by fire departments in Derby, Seymour and Shelton.
The building where the fire took place is a two-story, wood-frame apartment building, according to city land records. It was constructed in 1930.