Former Hamden Fire Station Catches On Fire

HAMDEN, CT — A former Hamden fire station caught on fire Sunday but quick action by firefighters saved the now mixed-use building from being significantly damaged. At 3:20 p.m. the Hamden Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire located at 21 Merritt Street.

The first arriving fire company, Tower 1 (3:23), reported smoke showing from the flat roof on the westward side of the brick building. Firefighters accessed the area using saws and hand tools to pull back the roofing material and interior ceilings.

Fire was found in several joist bays and extinguished. Battalion Chief Gary Couture declared the fire under control at 3:30. Crews remained on-scene until 4:25 p.m.

"Some may recall that the building located at 21 Merritt Street, that now houses KMK Insulation and a residence above, used to be a Hamden Fire Station. The station served the surrounding neighborhood from 1921 to 1970. Originally formed by volunteers as the Whitneyville Annex Fire Department, the company was renamed in 1925 to Merritt Street Company 6. In the photo below, the shadow of the former fire company sign is still visible above the garage door. The narrow bay opening was one of the major reasons the station was unable to house larger more modern fire equipment in 1970," said Fire Chief David A. Berardesca in a news release.

based sealant ignited the wooden framing members. Damage was confined to a relatively
small area. No injuries were reported.

Photos via Hamden Fire Department