Boucher had just pulled into a driveway across the street from 16 Franklin St. when he saw smoke coming from the house in the rear-view mirror of his truck.
He ran across the street. The house was on fire.
Two residents had gotten out of the home, he said.
But then one of them went back in.
He told a neighbor to call 911.
“Somebody said ‘Somebody went back in the house,’” Boucher said at the scene. “There was smoke coming out of the doorway. I just kicked the door open.”
Inside he found an elderly resident on the floor who said he couldn’t get up.
“I almost passed out, there was so much smoke,” Boucher said. “So I just grabbed him and pulled him out and dragged him out. I hope he’s OK.”
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The man was evaluated by EMS at the scene.
The fire broke out about 1 p.m., according to Fire Chief Scott Trembley.
The home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
“By the time we got an engine here it was extended up the outside of the building, so we hit it defensively at first,” Trembley said. “Once we got the bulk of the fire knocked down crews went in and tried to knock down the interior fire.”
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Dozens of firefighters from Ansonia and Derby responded. There were also firefighters from Seymour and Shelton at the scene.
Most of the fire was knocked down within minutes, but Trembley said firefighters would be on scene to make sure the fire doesn’t reignite.
Sue Wilchinsky, who lives across the street, said she had smelled smoke earlier coming from across the street, but didn’t know where specifically it was coming from.
Wilchinsky’s son, Mark, said he noticed flames coming from a front corner of the house, before the blaze spread quickly, blanketing the entire front of the home.
Trembley said Fire Marshal Ralph Tingley would be investigating the blaze’s cause and origin.
He said the Red Cross had been called to respond to the scene and assist the people living at the home.
A relative of the owner of the home sent the Valley Indy a message on Facebook saying both of the people inside the home at the time were OK.
Another tenant of the home was at work when the fire broke out.
Some siding on the house next door was destroyed by the heat from the blaze, but Trembley said firefighters checked to make sure there was no further damage.
Mayor David Cassetti sent the Valley Indy a statement lauding the city’s volunteer firefighters.
“I want to commend the Ansonia Fire Department on their excellent work combating the fire on Franklin Street today,” Cassetti said. “They make all of Ansonia proud.”