No one was injured after a Halloween basement fire on Beechwood Terrace in Ansonia Wednesday afternoon.
The fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause and origin.
The fire was reported about 4:30 p.m. in a single-family house off Marshall Lane in Ansonia’s Hilltop. Initial reports from the scene said at least two people, including an older woman, were out of the house as crews arrived.
Firefighters on the scene did not have specific information.
Assistant Chief Edward Adamowski said arriving firefighters saw smoke coming from the basement of the house.
“Our crew made an initial attack through the front door, down the stairs and into the basement,” Adamowski said. “They knocked it down fairly quickly. It was a pretty good stop.”
The fire was contained to the basement. Adamowski couldn’t speak to the extent of the damage inside the home.
A girlfriend of one of the residents said the family was too shook up to talk.
In addition to a full Ansonia fire department response, Derby was brought to the scene as well. A water main break nearby caused a slight water pressure problems at one of the hydrants. Adamowski called for a tanker truck from Woodbridge as a precaution, but the water from the hydrant held up during the fire.
As of 5 p.m. Ansonia firefighters were removing smoldering items that belonged to the family and making sure the fire didn’t extend into hidden portions of the walls. Firefighters also cut holes into the home’s roof to act as a vent.
Friends or relatives consoled several members of the family who stood outside their property as firefighters carried out their damaged belongings and created a pile in the front lawn.
The firefighters were able to retrieve a number of large family portraits and immediately gave those to the family.
