Fire at Case Street Building Displaces Three Farmington Families

Initial reports of the structure fire at a Case Street building behind Joey Garlic's in Farmington Saturday morning indicated that a person might be trapped in the basement.

But Farmington firefighters, dispatched to the scene at 10:29 a.m., confirmed no one was inside the 18 Case St. residential building after conducting a preliminary search, Mary-Ellen Harper, Farmington's director of fire and rescue services, said in a phone message left with Patch.

"Then they pulled all of the firefighters out of the building because at that point the fire had become so heavy that there was concern about the structural stability of the roof," Harper said.  

When the incident commander arrived, he could see "heavy fire showing from both the back of the building and the roof," Harper said. 

Once all firefighters exited the building, they went into "defensive mode" and "fought the fire from the outside of the building," she said. 

Some of the building's siding melted because of heat exposure, Harper said. 

No one was injured in the fire, she said. 

Three families living in the building have been displaced, but "no one was in the building at the time of the fire," Harper said. Farmington Community Services has reached out to each family to offer them any assistance needed. 

About 35 firefighters from all Farmington fire stations were on scene to put out the flames.

As of 2:53 p.m., the fire was out and "being investigated by the Fire Marshal's Office." 

Patch will provide more information as it becomes available.