Brookfield Fire Displaces Family Of Three

BROOKFIELD, CT — When homeowner on Candlewood Lake Road was met with a strong odor when he walked through the door after his evening commute Wednesday evening, he followed the odor to his basement door. Upon opening the door, he was bombarded with heavy smoke and shrewdly left the home to call 911, Interim Fire Marshal David Lathrop told Patch.

Firefighters from the towns two companies and other area companies rushed to the home after the homeowner's call at 6:51 p.m. and had the blaze knocked down by 7:20 p.m. The home's basement laundry room was found to be the source of the blaze and firefighters were able to keep the flames contained to the basement.

"The fire department got in there and got it knocked down very quickly," said Lathrop.

The homeowner, his wife and a young child were displaced due to the fire. Nobody was injured, but Lathrop says the home is inhabitable due to heavy smoke damage. Brookfield Police also closed Candlewood Lake Road fromFederal Road to Rocky Road for about an hour.

Lathrop credited the homeowner's quick thinking and the home's functioning smoke detectors with preventing further catastrophe.

"On [the homeowner's] part he did an excellent job by calling instead of trying to investigate," said Lathrop of the homeowner's actions when he discovered the blaze. "He was safe about getting out of the home."

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Images via the Brookfield Police Department.