An image from the Seymour Fire Department Facebook page showing the aftermath of Sunday’s fire.
SEYMOUR — Eleven people were displaced after a house fire at 39 – 41 Nichols St. Sunday.
No injuries were reported, according to Seymour Fire Marshal Timm Willis. The cause of the fire has not been determined, though Willis said it is being considered an accident.
The eleven people were members of the same family living in a two-family house. The number includes four adults and seven children. Two pets were also able to get out. The children were not home at the time of the fire, officials said.
The Red Cross is helping with temporary housing.
The fire was reported at 6:34 p.m.
“Fire department units arrived on scene and found fire on a second-floor porch/balcony,” Willis said. “Crews were able to hit the fire from the outside with a hose and knock a lot of it down, and then they made an interior attack.”
The bulk of the fire was contained to the porch, but some flames traveled up a wall to the third floor of the three-story house.
There was extensive smoke and water damage, and firefighters had to carve up walls to check for further fire extension.
It took about 15 minutes to get the incident under control. Firefighters were on scene for almost four hours.
Oxford firefighters assisted at the scene and provided Seymour station coverage with Beacon Falls firefighters in case additional calls came in.
The house had working smoke detectors. The porch was being used as storage, Willis said.
“I can’t say 100 percent conclusively what caused the fire,” the marshal said.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused Seymour firefighters to adjust protocols. In an effort to keep people apart, members are being asked to respond to the fire scene instead of reporting to the firehouse.
In addition, fire trucks can usually carry six people. That limit has been lowered to four, Willis said.
To protect from COVID-19 infection, firefighters are also wearing masks and air packs when responding to routine calls for service to densely-populated locations, including nursing homes and apartment buildings.
