As we reported as the news was breaking, At 11:09 PM on Wednesday May 11th a Papurah Road resident called the Fairfield Emergency Communications Center to report a vehicle fire on the Merritt Parkway. She stated that she could see the fire from her back yard and called back several times to advise that she had been hearing several explosions. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country Mini Van fully involved in fire. The magnesium component of the vehicle were burning and exploding. The tires of the vehicle and the gasoline tank had also ruptured. The vehicle was un-occupied. The ground cover and brush adjacent to the roadway was also burning. During extinguishment of the brush fire a body was discovered. Upon arrival Asst. Chief George Gomola, the incident commander, reported a vehicle accident with injury had also occurred approximately 75 yards south of the vehicle fire. A Good Samaritan’s vehicle had been struck by a second vehicle.

Two garages were burned to the ground at 192 Federal Street in Bridgeport Wednesday shortly after 7:30pm. This view is from Capital Avenue, the fire spread to the adjoining garages. Fire department suspects arson since there is no electricity in the detached garages, but sources tell us that gasoline and even lighter fluid is stored in the garages. The fire was intense enough to melt the vinyl siding off the nearby homes. From the time the call came in to the time I arrived was under ten minutes and the two garages were already burned to the ground. Fire department is still investigating the cause of the fire.