Accidental Fire Damages Sandy Hook House

By Andrew Gorosko

Firefighters responded to an early morning house fire on Friday, December 10, in Sandy Hook in which an electrical extension cord in the building’s basement malfunctioned, resulting in an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 worth of damage to the premises.

A male resident, John Whittle, 51, who was home when the fire occurred, was sent to Danbury Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, after which he was released, said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead.

Chief Halstead said this week that firefighters responded to a 5:40 am call for help from 1 Rolling Meadows Lane. The property’s address formerly was known as 42 Black Bridge Road. Sandy Hook, Hawleyville, and Hook & Ladder firefighters were dispatched on the call.

Chief Halstead said that an electrical extension cord that was in use the basement of the 2,200-square-foot two-story Colonial house had some weight resting atop it, after which the cord malfunctioned and caught fire.

The fire generated smoke that triggered smoke detectors, sounding alarms which woke Mr Whittle, his wife Jen Mesaric, and their child Chelsea Piccirillo, all of whom were sleeping on the top story, according to the fire chief.

After discovering the fire, Mr Whittle used a dry-chemical fire extinguisher to battle and knock down the blaze, said Chief Halstead. The three family members were outdoors when firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire chief said.

Considering that Mr Whittle had been exposed to smoke from the fire, the chemicals emitted from the fire extinguisher, and various chemicals stored within the basement while putting out the fire, officials decided that he should be transported by ambulance to Danbury Hospital to be medically checked, the fire chief said.

Although the fire caused a limited amount of scorch damage in the basement, it created extensive smoke damage within the house, resulting in high cleanup costs, the fire chief said. The fire-related damage required a thorough cleanup of the premises, he said.

The fire chief urged caution in the use of electrical extension cords to prevent such incidents from occurring.