DERBY – GoFundMe campaigns have been set up to help families after an Oct. 23 fire on Derby Avenue displaced between eight and ten people.
The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. A call to the fire marshal’s office Oct. 26 was not returned.
You can view the fundraising pages here:
- Helping My Father With The Derby, CT Fire
- A Fresh Start For Derby Sisters After The Fire
- Derby Fire Relief For Two Men
Clothing donations have also been requested for two women displaced in the fire. See the middle GoFundMe in the list for more details.
Firefighters received multiple calls at 5:11 p.m. Friday (Oct. 23) reporting a possible structure fire at 272 Derby Ave. The first units on scene saw heavy smoke and flames coming out of the back of the building, according to Derby Fire Department Chief Thomas Biggs.
Complicating the response – the building only had one story facing the street, but sloped down a hill to three stories in the rear.
Firefighters were initially unable to approach the street-side entrance due to the heat. Crews worked in a hurry as initial reports said people may have been trapped inside.
“We ended up pulling a hose line down the hill in the back, and we extinguished some of the fire,” Biggs said.
Biggs said, after some of the flames were extinguished, responders were able to enter the front door, cutting out the wall on either side to make an entrance. Once inside, firefighters were able to confirm that everyone had made it out of the building.
The fire had spread throughout the building and rendered the home uninhabitable, Biggs said. One firefighter suffered minor injuries but has since recovered.
Biggs said that not knowing whether people were trapped inside the home made the response all the more urgent.
“The fact that we couldn’t physically get in there due to the heat, it kind of made it even more stressful, too. It was like, ‘I don’t know if someone’s in there and we just can’t get to them,’” he said.
One of the GoFundMe pages, for displaced resident Richard Smith, thanks responders for their actions.
“Everyone was incredible in a terrible situation and we all owe you our gratitude,” reads the page’s description, written by Richard’s son Tim Smith.
The house at 272 Derby Ave. is a three-story, multi-family, 5,808-square foot home with aluminum/vinyl walls, according to city land records. It was built in 1919.