East Haven Condo Fire Displaces 20, Damages 6 Units: Report

EAST HAVEN, CT — Twenty residents of a condo complex on Birch Lane in East Haven have been displaced after several units caught fire Monday night, WTNH reported.

The East Haven Fire Department was told of "an odor of smoke" at the Birches Condominium Complex at around 8:45 p.m. Monday, East Haven Firefighters Local 1205 wrote on Facebook.

Responding firefighters declared a working fire after finding heavy smoke in multiple units, the department said, and WTNH reported that the fire was in an attic space shared between six units.

The firefighters — among them members of the Branford and North Branford fire departments, in addition to East Haven — extinguished multiple pockets of fire within the walls and attic space, they said on Facebook.

Firefighters were able to rescue multiple pets as well, they said, and no injuries were reported.

Though the fire was brought under control, East Haven Fire Department Assistant Chief Chris Rosa told WTNH that there was "extensive fire damage" to about six units.

Now, the American Red Cross is helping eight families (made up of 14 adults and two children, they said) recover from the fire.

The Red Cross helped meet the families' "immediate needs" by giving them personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant and shaving supplies, spokesperson Jonathan Sandstrom said.

"Those affected will connect with Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan," Sandstrom said. "The Red Cross is able to provide assistance through the generosity of our donors and commitment of our volunteers."