Snowplow Fire, Injuries, Downed Wires In Fairfield Amid Winter Storm

FAIRFIELD, CT — As snow fell and wind blew Saturday in Fairfield, emergency crews were busy responding to crashes, storm-related injuries and downed wires.

The Bridgeport airport had over 10 inches of accumulation as of 1 p.m., and the snow was causing complications for those who ventured outside.

“You’re not able to really see well when you’re driving now,” said Provisional Assistant Chief Patrick Barry, of the Fairfield Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to a crash about 8:30 a.m. on Interstate 95 near the Westport border, where a driver who lost control of a vehicle in the snow suffered a head laceration, according to Barry. Another vehicle struck a utility pole around 4 p.m. on Cornell Road, but no one was hurt.

A snowblower accident caused a head injury about 3:30 p.m. in the Tunxis Hill area, and a snowplow caught fire around 11:30 a.m. on King Drive in Southport, Barry said. Firefighters extinguished the fire, but the vehicle, which belonged to a private contractor, was totaled.

A tree and utility pole were downed about 4:45 p.m. in the 900 block of Hoydens Hill Road, according to Barry. UI’s outage map showed 29 of the company’s 24,580 customers were without power as of around 5:45 p.m.

“The wind is starting to kick up now,” Barry said. “It’s phenomenal, the wind.”

The windchill in Fairfield was minus 8 degrees late Saturday afternoon, according to Barry.

“Stay home if you can,” he said. “If you must go out, make sure that you are properly dressed with head coverings and face coverings and gloves. Just be extremely careful.”

Most residents stayed off the roads Saturday, according to Assistant Director of Public Works John Cottell, who said crews were nearly done plowing and salting as of about 6:15 p.m.

"I'd like to thank the public for cooperating," he said, adding the day went relatively smoothly for those working on snow cleanup for the town.

Wind gusts as high as 39 mph were forecast going into the evening Saturday, while the snow was expected to taper off by 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees were projected overnight and into Sunday.