Early Morning Blaze Destroys Taunton District Home

By John Voket, Shannon Hicks, and Andrew Gorosko

Every volunteer firefighter in Newtown, as well as support crews from several neighboring towns, responded to calls that began coming in around 4:15 am Thursday, June 23, reporting a house fire at 31 Great Hill Road.

By the time firefighters arrived on the scene and began staging a few minutes later, it was clear that the structure was so completely involved in flames that Hawleyville Fire Chief Joe Farrell, who was commander on the scene, ordered crews to begin defensive action to fight the fire from outside instead of sending anyone into the building to search for inhabitants.

Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue Chief and local Fire Marshal William Halstead said that, fortunately, the family that lived in the house had been staying elsewhere recently while a renovation project was underway there to repair damage caused by last winter’s severe weather.

The residents include Anita Pettengill, who is listed as the property’s owner, and Dan Telesco, plus one or two others, the fire marshal said.

The family was scheduled to move back into the house soon.

A pet dog that was outdoors at the property was saved from harm, according to Chief Farrell.

When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy flames emanating from the rear of the 3,700-square-foot structure, which was built in 1971. The house is positioned on a rise, set well back from the road at the end of a long driveway. Town assessment records list the appraised value of the house and property at almost $700,000.

Several dozen firefighters responded to the scene from all five local volunteer fire companies — Hawleyville, Dodgingtown, Hook & Ladder, Botsford, and Sandy Hook. Also, firefighters from volunteer companies in Southbury, Bethel, and Brookfield provided mutual aid support.

One Hawleyville firefighter received a minor arm cut while working at the fire, Chief Farrell said.

Chief Farrell estimated that based on the extent of the blaze when firefighters arrived, the fire had been burning for some time before it was discovered.

As the flames reached into the early morning sky, the volunteer fire companies began coordinating a shuttle system to provide a ready water source for others who manned hoses and ladders. Besides the water carried on their trucks, firefighters shuttled water to the scene from a dry hydrant at Taunton Lake and also from a fire hydrant at the intersection of Taunton Lake Road and Castle Hill Road, Chief Farrell said.

Firefighters from the various fire companies worked well together at the fire, making for a good joint effort, Chief Farrell said.

As local volunteers responded to the fire, volunteers from Southbury and Stony Hill in Bethel headed to Newtown’s empty fire stations to respond to any other calls as backup. Coincidentally, it was the second time within 24 hours that Southbury volunteers found themselves staffing Newtown stations.

Those crews covered Sandy Hook’s fire station during an afternoon fire the day before at a home on Walnut Tree Hill Road (see separate story).

At about 10 am Thursday morning, work crews started to demolish the charred remains of the house.

Fire Marshal Halstead and Deputy Fire Marshal Rich Frampton picked through the ruins at the fire in seeking to determine where exactly the fire had started and the cause of the blaze. The heaviest damage occurred at the rear of the building, Mr Halstead said.

No possible cause of the fire was immediately available. No damage estimate was available.

There were no vehicles parked inside an attached garage at the house, Mr Halstead said. The house will need to be condemned due to the extensive damage, he said.