Ten people gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving were suddenly driven from an Old Castle Dr. home on Thursday night. Monroe volunteer firefighters were called to 48 Old Castle Dr. just before 11:30 pm when the residents saw smoke starting to fill the house near their fireplace.
Crews determined there was a fire hidden in the wall between the kitchen and family room. After pulling out kitchen cabinets and breaching the wall behind the fireplace, firefighters got to the flames before they could extend further throughout the house.
A large contingent of firefighters from Monroe, Stevenson, and Stepney descended on the cul-de-sac located in the Barn Hill road area; approximately 32 in all, manning three engines and two ladder trucks. Trumbull and Shelton also provided coverage in the event of another emergency in town. After cleaning their equipment, the last volunteer firefighters from the Route 110 station headed home around 1:45 am.
None of the occupants or firefighters were injured. Due to the smoke odor, the residents were unable to stay in the home. While damage was limited primarily to the kitchen, fire marshal William Davin estimated that repairs could be in the $30,000 to $50,000 range.
“Had the fire broken out after everyone went to sleep, it could have been a terrible outcome as the fire would have swept through the walls”. The owners were grateful it was contained fairly quickly”, said Davin.
Standing among fire hoses laid across the front yard, Monroe Assistant Fire Chief Peter Chila, who oversaw the operation, added how difficult it can be for firefighters when the house is full of smoke, but no flames are visible. “Overall, it was a good outcome. The occupants evacuated safely and the house and most of its contents were saved”, he said.
