Crime & Safety
Weekend Fire Displaces Northford Family
With a brush fire and a house fire, the North Branford Fire Department had its work cut out for it over the weekend.
According to North Branford , the responded to a brush fire on March 10 and a house fire on March 11.
The fire on March 11 has forced a family out of their home until repairs can be done. Seward reported the fire on Great Oak Road resulted from outdated brick work surrounding the family’s fireplace.
The family had a fire burning when their lights began to flicker and they saw smoke coming from the wall near the ceiling, according to Seward.
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The house was evacuated and family members were examined for smoke inhalation with no injuries reported. The NBFD used its thermal heat gun to determine there was fire in the walls of the home, tore out sections of the wall and extinguished the flames.
“When there are spaces in between old brickwork and the mortar, the heat can get through,” said Seward. “Over time, pyralysis occurs, which is when the heat turns the old wood into a charcoal, which can then ignite and unfortunately burn a house down.”
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Seward complimented the NBFD, saying the personnel “did a great job with a quick knockdown.” He also said it was fortunate that the homeowners were at home to see the signs and quickly call 911.
“Something like this really proves that people need to pay attention to the brickwork on their fireplaces and should have it examined by a qualified individual,” said Seward. “And of course, you want to make sure you have .”
On March 10, the NBFD received a call about a brush fire near Hillside View Road and Hummingbird Drive.
“It’s been a pretty dry winter so the brush is easy to ignite–it’s usually not anything you worry about until late April or early May,” said Seward.
Though the cause of the weekend’s brush fire was undetermined, Seward reminded the public to use caution when disposing of smoking materials, especially in these dry conditions. While residents can obtain permits to burn brush (permits are available on the town website), there are several precautions one should take.
“If you’re burning brush, make sure it is away from combustibles and you have a working garden hose nearby,” said Seward.
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