Debris Fire Extinguished In Sandy Hook

By Andrew Gorosko

After firefighters responded to a report of a brush fire near 1 Crow’s Nest Lane about 2 pm on July 22, they arrived at the scene and realized that the fire actually involved a pile of renovation debris that had ignited on the driveway at the residential property, said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead.

Sandy Hook and Newtown Hook & Ladder firefighters were alerted of the incident in the 1:57 pm call. There were no injuries.

Chief Halstead said no one was at home when firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, which was reported by a neighbor.

In a roughly 100-square-foot area on the driveway, near a two-bay attached garage, a pile of rags, sawdust, assorted renovation debris, and various chemicals had caught on fire, he said.

Firefighters used the water carried on a fire truck to put out the blaze.

Chief Halstead, who is the fire marshal, said that considering the bright, hot day and the type of materials that were in the debris pile, it may have been a case of spontaneous combustion.

The heat of the fire caused some architectural trim to melt on the nearby garage, he said. Also, a nearby fence was damaged, as was a section of asphalt driveway.

The fire chief estimated the damage at the insured property at about $2,500. The two-story single-family residence is owned by Jose and Adrian Gutierrez, the fire chief said. Crow’s Nest Lane is a short dead-end street that extends from Farm Field Ridge Road.