A compromised chimney flue caused a major house fire that displaced five people in Seymour Saturday.
The cause was accidental, Seymour Deputy Fire Marshal Timm Willis said Monday.
The fire started on the roof line, where the chimney emerged from the house. The chimney vented a wood-burning stove in the house.
“We found some damage to the flue pipe. It appears there was some deterioration which allowed the heat to get out and cause a fire on the roof line,” Willis said.
Willis said estimated damages are around $600,000.
The people who live in the house were not hurt. One firefighter had a minor injury after slipping on ice. It was about 20 degrees or so Saturday, with heavy snow covering the ground.
The fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. on 14 – 16 Clifton St.
A neighbor, Willis said, smelled smoke.
“He opened up his back door and saw smoke coming from a house down the street,” Willis said. “He runs down the street, bangs on a door and kicks open a door.”
Four family members were in the two-family house at the time of the fire. They all got out. They stayed with relatives over the weekend.
The house is owned by Anna Dutkiewicz, who lived on the first floor with her son. Her parents lived on the second floor.
The first firefighters on the scene saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the attic area. The roof collapsed as first responders tried to put out the blaze.
“The Seymour Fire Department made an aggressive interior attack,” Willis said. “They encountered heavy, heavy fire up on the third floor. They were able to knock it down, but the roof started to go on them, so they backed everyone out,” Willis said.
Water was dumped on the fire from a ladder truck.
The fire was under control at about 1 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene until about 5:30 p.m.
The top floor suffered heavy damage, as did part of the second floor. The rest of the house had extensive water damage. Willis estimated there was 6 to 9 inches of water in the basement once the fire was out.
Willis said the firefighters did a good job considering the fire’s intensity. Willis listened to emergency radio transmissions before pulling up to Clifton Street. He expected to find nothing left but a chimney and a hole in the ground.
“It was a nasty fire. The Seymour Fire Department did a heck of a job,” he said.
Firefighters from Oxford responded to the scene as well. Firefighters from Beacon Falls covered Seymour during the incident.
Representatives from the state police fire and explosion investigation unit assisted at the scene.
A fifth person who lives in the house was not there Saturday.
