Main Street Fire Shuts Down Businesses [Video]

A fire that appears to have broken out near an air conditioning unit located in an attic has caused "considerable damage" to the two-story structure at 26 Main St. in East Haven.

Firefighters from East Haven and Branford rushed to the scene at about 2:15 and extinguished the fire before it consumed the multi-tenant office building. But, despite the quick response, the fire burnt through the attic and caused a section of the roof to cave in.

Windows were knocked out and debris was scattered on the ground surrounding the building, which is located at the beginning of Main Street near Route 1. A stretch of Main Street was closed for the duration of the incident, about two hours.

While the building was occupied and those inside were unaware of the fire until someone ran in to tell them, there have been no reported injuries, according to East Haven Fire Marshal Tony Moscato.

Given that the offices on the lower floors "sustained heavy water damage," the businesses will not likely be back open in the coming days, Moscato added.

The building is occupied by at least three businesses, including , and .

Moscato stressed how important it is that residents and business owners always remain vigilant, and be sure that their smoke detectors are functional.

"It’s extremely important," Moscato said. "That’s why we can't talk enough about smoke detectors, number one - that’s first and foremost."

"People don’t realize the benefit of smoke detectors," he added. "The earlier warning, the earlier you get to a fire, the sooner you can get it extinguished.”