Family Of 4 Displaced By Fire In Stratford: Officials

STRATFORD, CT — Crews responded Saturday to simultaneous fires in Stratford, one of which displaced a family of four, according to officials.

Authorities received multiple 911 calls around 1 p.m. about a fire on Freeman Avenue, officials said. Emergency personnel discovered flames coming from a backyard, as well as a house that was 70 percent ablaze, according to the Stratford Fire Department. Several exposed tanks had vented propane, spreading flames to fencing and starting small brush fires, authorities said, adding the blaze was brought under control in about 45 minutes.

Around the same time, a porch fire was reported in the 700 block of Honeyspot Road, according to authorities, who said residents used a portable extinguisher to contain the flames with help from staff at the neighboring Stratford Guns & Ammo.

The American Red Cross was called to aid the family displaced by the Freeman Avenue fire, according to authorities. The external siding of the house was blackened by the blaze, images of the damage posted on Facebook by the fire department showed.

Both incidents were under investigation, authorities said. Agencies from Milford, Bridgeport, Shelton and Trumbull assisted.

The Stratford Fire Department noted residents can call 203-385-4073 for a free smoke detector survey, and that they should have a home exit plan and should not drive over a fire hose in the street as doing so is dangerous to firefighters and can cause damage to both the hose and vehicle.