Improperly Discarded Smoking Materials Leads to Fire at Monroe Home

Crews battled a fire at a home on Percheron Drive Sunday afternoon in the Stevenson section of Monroe.

According to fire officials, the fire broke out around 4:30 p.m. Although the residents were not home at the time, neighbors spotted smoke and flames in the rear of the home.

Firefighters extinguished the bulk of the fire before it travelled further into the roof and attic area, officials said. It took crews about 30 minutes to get the fire completely under control.

Police officers were able to safely remove the family dogs, officials said. There were no significant injuries to firefighters, although some were treated at the scene by Monroe EMS for minor heat-related conditions.

Improperly discarded smoking materials led to the blaze, the Monroe Fire Marshal’s Office determined. The heavy fire damage was limited to the interior and exterior of the family room, with smoke damage in other sections of the house.

Approximately 25 volunteer firefighters from the Stevenson, Monroe, and Stepney volunteer fire departments extinguished the fire.

Additional tanker trucks were called from Newtown, Oxford, and Shelton but were not needed. A crew from the Long Hill Fire Department in Trumbull responded to the scene, primarily to provide relief for the initial crews who were operating in full protective gear in the stifling heat.

“Fortunately the combination of alert neighbors, and the fast fire department response allowed us to make a quick stop on this fire”, Stevenson Fire Chief Robert Galbraith said in a statement. 

Images via Monroe Volunteer Fire Department