Serious Fire Badly Damages West Hartford Home: WHFD

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Fire officials are investigating the cause of a house fire that badly damaged a local home and displaced one resident living there on Sunday, Aug. 10.

According to the West Hartford Fire Department, the home was located at 89 Thomas St.

The state's American Red Cross Chapter said it is helping one resident displaced because of the fire.

The Red Cross provided a "recovery envelope" containing information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup, notification of important contacts, dealing with damaged items, and more.

In addition, the Red Cross provides "comfort kits" containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving supplies, and other items a resident might need when suddenly displaced.

Red Cross case workers are working with the resident on a long-term fire recovery plan.

Meanwhile, West Hartford authorities are still investigating what happened Sunday afternoon.

According to the WHFD, at about 3:52 p.m., West Hartford Public Safety Dispatch received a report of a fire in the rear of a single-family residence at 89 Thomas St.

Before responders' arrival, additional calls indicated fire and smoke were visible at the back of the building.

At 3:56 p.m., first-arriving units reported heavy smoke and fire visible to the rear of the residence, according to the WHFD.

Additional fire units were called, as well as mutual aid coverage to West Hartford stations, the WHFD said.

As some units targeted the blaze, the WHFD said additional units were assigned to search and to check for extension to the interior of the building.

Those searches, officials said, showed the home was unoccupied at the time, as "overhaul efforts were concentrated on the second floor."

The WHFD said the blaze did extend slightly into the attic, and the fire was deemed "under control" by 4:13 p.m.

No injuries to fire personnel were reported, and the West Hartford Fire Marshal’s office has investigated the fire's origin and cause.

"The West Hartford Building Official’s Office was on scene and the house will not be reoccupied due to the significant fire, smoke, and water damage," wrote WHFD Deputy Chief John F Sokolowski in a release.

"The West Hartford Fire Department would like to thank our dispatchers, WH Police Department, the Hartford Fire Department, Newington Fire, UConn Fire, and AMR who assisted at the scene, or by covering the town while our units were committed to the fire."