Early Morning Blaze—

Fire Damages Sandy Hook House; Nine Flee to Safety

By Andrew Gorosko

An early morning house fire on Saturday, May 8, caused by a malfunctioning lighting fixture, extensively damaged a single-family house in Sandy Hook, in which nine people were sleeping.

But smoke detectors sounded in the ranch-style home on the corner of Kale Davis Road and Leopard Drive, allowing all nine occupants and three dogs to flee the burning building without injury, said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead, who served as incident commander at the fire. “Everyone got out fine,” he said.

Mr Halstead estimates that the blaze caused approximately $100,000 in property damage to the home at 10 Kale Davis Road. Kale Davis Road is a dead-end street extending off Osborne Hill Road. The home is the property of Kathryn and Francis Forno, Mr Halstead said.

There were nine people in the house at the time because friends were staying overnight at the residence, Mr Halstead said. The nine people included adults and children.

Approximately 40 firefighters from Sandy Hook, Newtown Hook and Ladder, and Botsford went to the fire. Monroe firefighters stood by on Bennetts Bridge Road in the event they were needed at the scene. Southbury firefighters went to Sandy Hook’s main firehouse on a stand-by basis.

A total 13 fire vehicles were dispatched on the 5:31 am fire call, ten of which were from Newtown, plus three fire trucks from Southbury and Monroe. The last fire truck left the fire scene at 7:53 am.

The house’s roof was extensively damaged in the blaze. The building, which is repairable, is not now habitable, Mr Halstead said.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze with approximately 1,500 gallons of water, which they carried on board two fire trucks, Mr Halstead said.

A recessed, ceiling-mounted incandescent lighting fixture apparently malfunctioned, resulting in the accidental blaze, said Mr Halstead, who is the town’s fire marshal.

The fire generated smoke, which triggered the smoke detectors, alerting the occupants of the fire and prompting their swift exit from the building.

The fire then made its way into the house’s attic and then up to the roof of the low, long building. The flames damaged the roof on the eastern section of the home. Fire within the attic required firefighters to open up a section of the roof to get at the blaze, Mr Halstead said.

The incident resulted in fire, heat, smoke, and water damage to the premises.

The flames also ignited some shrubbery near the building.

The house’s residents are staying elsewhere until needed repairs make the building habitable again, Mr Halstead said.