Branford Commercial Fire Prompts Evacuations: FD

BRANFORD, CT — A fire at a commercial building on East Main Street Tuesday morning prompted the evacuation of multiple businesses, fire officials said.

No one was injured, according to Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney.

Firefighters were dispatched to 688 East Main St. at 9:48 a.m. for a report of smoke in the building.

Crews encountered heavy smoke emanating from a room at Free Think Technologies, one of several businesses operating at the commercial property, Mahoney said, in a press release.

Firefighters determined the source of the fire was in an industrial washing machine. They successfully confined the fire to the machine, preventing damage from spreading any further, and extinguished it, according to Mahoney.

Workers at Free Think Technologies and three adjacent businesses in the building were evacuated as a precaution, he said.

Firefighters ventilated the building of smoke and were able to clear the scene by 11:10 a.m.