Firefighters from seven volunteer fire companies responded to the scene of an early morning house fire on July 16, on Bradley Lane, off Berkshire Road in Sandy Hook, where the accidental blaze caused damage that may exceed $150,000 in repair value, fire officials said.

There were no injuries in the incident, which has temporarily put seven people out of their home at 4 Bradley Lane, said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead, who was incident commander.

The ranch-style house, which was built in 1972, is split into two residences. The owners of the property are Annette and Wayne Thompson, who also live there.

The call for help from the residence came at 12:17 am. Firefighters from Sandy Hook, Newtown Hook & Ladder, Botsford, Dodgingtown, Hawleyville, Monroe, and Stevenson responded to the scene, where about 45 firefighters gathered. Southbury volunteer firefighters went to Sandy Hook's main firehouse on Riverside Road to provide fire backup support for local fire companies.

Fire Marshal Rich Frampton said that a bird had built a nest atop an elevated, outdoor dual-bulb lighting fixture. The nest caught fire due to the heat produced by the illuminated bulbs, and the fire then spread to the house's adjacent attic.

Seven people were at home in two apartments within the house when the fire occurred. The fire chief credited those people with using a garden hose to put out the flames on the building's exterior, thus limiting the magnitude of the blaze.

Chief Halstead said that by 12:50 am, firefighters using water hoses had "knocked down" the fire, and by 1:22 am, the fire was out and overhaul work was underway. Sandy Hook firefighters left the scene about 2:53 am.

The blaze damaged the attic, the attic's contents, and the roof. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the blaze. The incident resulted in fire, smoke, and water damage to the structure. The house is insured for loss.

All seven residents of the house are staying elsewhere, Chief Halstead said.

Mr Frampton termed the extent of damage to the building "moderate," adding that the structure can be repaired.

Mr Frampton urged that people who have outdoor lighting fixtures to be aware of the fire hazards that are posed by objects, such as bird nests, that come into contact with those heat-producing devices.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-330416" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Bradley-Lane-House-Fire.jpg" alt="Bradley Lane House Fire" width="800" height="534" /]

Sandy Hook volunteer firefighters used their ladder truck to provide emergency access to the roof of a house at 4 Bradley Lane, which received moderate damage in an accidental fire early on the morning of Monday, July 16. There were no injuries. 

-Newtown Fire Marshal photo