#Fairfield Connecticut–On March 16, 2016 at 1:13 PM, the Fairfield 911 Communications Center received a report that a neighbor at 275/277 Jennings Road heard a smoke detector sounding in an upstairs apartment. The Fairfield Fire Department was dispatched to an automatic fire alarm and the first unit arrived on scene within 3 minutes to find smoke coming from the second floor windows. The first floor tenants had evacuated the building and met firefighters outside with their pets. Firefighters entered the 2nd floor of the structure to find heavy smoke conditions throughout. While performing a search for victims and the source of the fire, firefighters found an unconscious victim in a smoke filled bedroom. The victim was confused, difficult to awaken and unaware of what was happening. The victim was quickly assisted out of the building and medical care initiated by fire personnel on scene while awaiting an ambulance form AMR. Further search of the apartment located a small fire on the stove which was quickly extinguished and no additional victims or pets inside the building. Fire personnel ventilated the building and monitored the atmosphere to ensure no hazardous gases were present. AMR transported the victim, an approx. 30 year old male, to Bridgeport Hospital for smoke exposure and evaluation.
Assistant Chief Scott R. Bisson stated, “The presence of a working smoke detector and the quick actions of the downstairs tenant calling 911 truly saved a life today. Small fires can create a lot of smoke that can be more deadly than the fire itself to sleeping occupants.” Bisson further stated, “With daylight savings time this past weekend, this is a good reminder for all residents to make sure that they changed their batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they will alert you to a problem.”
The fire damage was confined to the stove area. The two family house remained habitable and the down stairs tenants were allowed to reoccupy after ventilation of the whole house to remove residual smoke and fire gases. The last fire unit cleared the scene at 1:54 PM.
(Fairfield Fire Department Press Release)
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