Photo by Jason Edwards
A firefighter on a ladder truck.
SHELTON — UPDATE: please click here or here for important updates regarding hazardous materials released during this fire.
There were no injuries reported as of 10 p.m. Saturday as flames engulfed the long-vacant Star Pin factory building in Shelton.
The fire was still raging as of 10 p.m. The cause and origin will be investigated. Firefighters told The Valley Indy they expected to be on site until dawn Sunday to dump water on hot spots (update: they were still dealing with hot spots as of 10 a.m. Sunday).
Eugene Driscoll Photo
The view looking to Shelton across the Housatonic River from Derby.
The Shelton Fire Department sent a message to the public on social media Sunday telling people to call state environmental officials if residents find debris from the fire on their properties.
Any residents with concerns regarding debris found on their property from last night’s Canal Street factory fire should contact DEEP (CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) at (860) 729‑4677,” the post read.
Please advise them of the following information:
1) Location of debris on the property
2) Do not touch debris until samples are gathered by DEEP or otherwise instructed by DEEP personnel
The Valley Indy emailed DEEP Sunday seeking more info.
The Fire
A fire was reported in the 145-year-old, four-story building about 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The smoke plume could be seen from the Q Bridge in New Haven.
The address is listed as 267 273 Canal St. in downtown Shelton west of the Derby-Shelton bridge behind a U‑Haul rental location. The complex takes up 1.4 acres and backs up to the shore of the Housatonic River.
Across the river people lined Roosevelt Drive in Derby to watch the spectacle. A large crowd gathered on the Derby-Shelton bridge and all along Canal Street in Shelton.
The building has been vacant for at least 15 years, officials said.
Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora said Saturday’s fire was the second fire at the building in about a year.
“We were in at Easter of last year for the back end of this building,” he said. That fire was intentionally set by juveniles and was handled by police, Tortora said.
Tortora said the Star Pin factory structure had been classified as a ‘no entry’ property because it was in such bad shape.
“The floors were collapsing, so the building was not structurally sound. This fire is being fought from the outside,” Tortora said. The fire marshal said pinpointing an official cause in a situation like this could be difficult because of the extent of the damage.
The building totals about 118,000 square feet.
Photo by Eugene Driscoll
The scene in Shelton Saturday evening.
Secondary Fire Next Door At ‘Apex’ Building
Embers from the building landed on the roof of a neighboring industrial building, setting it ablaze as well. Firefighters used hoses to keep the neighboring building wet so that it was not further damaged.
A ladder truck was also set up next to the Avalon residential complex as protection.
ValleyIndy</a> <a href="https://t.co/tzDj7JdSbp">pic.twitter.com/tzDj7JdSbp</a></p>— Scott (hurrydowns) June 14, 2020
Firefighters from Ansonia, Derby, Shelton and Seymour were all on scene. Monroe FD was involved, too.
“There was heavy fire in the rear of the building and multiple floors on fire upon arrival,” said Derby Assistant Fire Chief David Lenart.
Shelton Fire Chief Fran Jones was the incident commander.
Jason Edwards Photo
A view of the scene in Shelton.
Some Background On The Property
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, who was at the fire along with state Rep. Jason Perillo, R‑Shelton, said the city took over the the property after it had been abandoned.
In 2018, state government announced Shelton was receiving a $750,000 grant to clean up hazardous materials at the site.
Though the cleanup grant was announced, the funding from the EPA won’t be released until the new federal year starts in October, Rick Dunne said Sunday. Dunne is the executive director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
In March, the city Aldermen approved a deal to sell the property to Primrose Companies, owned by John Guedes, for $500,000, according to The Shelton Herald.
Lauretti said that sale is in process and that Guedes plans to redevelop the old industrial building into a mix of residential and commercial — an extension of what’s been happening all over Canal Street in downtown Shelton.
Photo by Eugene Driscoll
The view from the Derby-Shelton bridge looking west Saturday at about 8 p.m.
