People, Dog, Birds OK After Ansonia House Fire

Gris Gutierrez, 26, stood on the sidewalk Friday while her little sister collapsed into her dad’s arms in tears as Ansonia firefighters tossed her burnt belongings from what used to be a window on her home’s second floor.

How’d she feel?

Grateful — because her family was alive.

“They’re OK, that’s what matters. It’s just materials,” she said.

The Gutierrez family home was damaged Friday by a fire that apparently started in a corner room on the second floor.

Fire marshals are investigating. The 2,400-square-foot, 113-year-old two-family house is at 22 Clover St.

Gris Gutierrez, her mother, father and two sisters lived on the second-floor apartment while her extended family — a grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin — lived on the first floor.

Three people were in the first-floor apartment when an Ansonia volunteer firefighter who was across the street spotted smoke coming from the second floor.

Story continues after the photo gallery:

The fire was reported at 1:09 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene within four minutes.

Three people on the first floor were able to get out without being injured.

“When we got here there was heavy smoke coming out,” Ansonia Assistant Chief Michael Eheman said.

A Facebook reader, Michelle, submitted this photo, taken shortly after firefighters arrived:

“It was basically contained to two rooms in the back corner,” Eheman said.

The family told the Valley Indy the room that suffered the most fire damage was being used as a walk-in closet, essentially, for the three Gutierrez girls.

The assistant chief said the door to that room was closed as the fire blazed. He said the back room was gutted by fire, but firefighters kept the flames from spreading elsewhere.

“There’s water and smoke damage throughout most of the house and we had to open up the roof in the front to vent the area so firefighters could get in there,” Eheman said.

Firefighters rescued two birds and Pink, a panic-stricken mini Dachshund who nipped the firefighter trying to rescue her.

Luckily it was the only injury. The firefighter continued to fight the blaze, Eheman said.

Firefighters were still on the scene as of 3 p.m.

The Red Cross was contacted in case the family needs temporary housing.

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