$9M Silver Sands Park Project Largely Destroyed In Massive Fire

MILFORD, CT — A $9 million construction project at Silver Sands State Park was largely destroyed in a massive fire late Tuesday. Three new buildings that housed a concession stand/dining area, public restrooms, and an office to better serve visitors of the state park were destroyed in the blaze. The nearly completed units were scheduled to be open for Memorial Day weekend.

Now the park is closed and will remain closed for the foreseeable future, officials said Wednesday. The cause of the fire is under investigation, says Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi.

Fire dispatchers received 911 calls at approximately 10:30 PM reporting a large fire in the area of East Broadway and Silver Sands State Park. First arriving firefighting units found two of the structures fully involved with fire and a third building nearly fifty percent engulfed in flames.

"Fire crews initiated a defensive attack on the blaze, utilizing both aerial and ground mounted master streams capable of delivering large volumes of water onto the fire. All of Milford's frontline firefighting units assisted in the effort. The incident was brought under control in approximately two hours," Fabrizi said.

No injuries were reported. Stratford and West Haven Fire Department units provided mutual aid coverage for the city during the incident.

In a news release, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which oversaw the $9 million construction project, said Milford officials have reached out to DEEP to offer their support and coordination.

Officials from the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), which oversees the construction, have already begun coordinating meetings with the contractor and DEEP to determine next steps for the project.

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said, “DEEP is grateful for the efforts of the Milford Fire Department and other responding agencies. The park will remain closed for as long as necessary to investigate the fire and protect the safety of the public. Though we are saddened by the loss of the buildings under construction, the most important thing is that no one was injured fighting the fire.”

Besides the three new buildings, the state added 100 new parking spaces at the state park.

photo by Rich Scinto/Patch staff

As the fire was happening, NBC Connecticut Chief Meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan said the fire was so intense that it showed up on the weather radar.