Owner At Site Of North Haven Explosion Thanks First Responders

NORTH HAVEN, CT — While last week’s explosion during a standoff situation in North Haven is still under investigation, and authorities haven’t identified the suspect or his wife, the woman who owns the property is thanking all of the emergency responders who were at the scene during the situation. Nine members of the South Central Regional SWAT Team were injured when a barn exploded on the property of 385 Quinnipiac Avenue in North Haven last Wednesday. Police responded to the home after a domestic violence incident was reported where a woman had been held hostage by her husband for several hours before escaping.

The Hartford Courant citing sources said the suspect had held his wife, who had filed for divorce, hostage for several days but she was able to contact police around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The explosion occurred shortly after 8 p.m. and a massive fire spread throughout the property and continued to burn until Thursday morning. Human remains were found inside one of the structures on the property, but police still have not released the person’s identity.

Deborah Sayre, who is listed as the owner of the property, has sent a letter to several area newspapers publicly thanking the emergency responders for their efforts. In the letter, Sayre said that their families “must truly be proud of you for you are our everyday heroes. You are the ones rushing in when the rest of us are rushing away,” via the New Haven Register.

All nine of injured SWAT team members, including officers from Branford, East Haven, and North Haven, have been released from the hospital. Sayre said they were “relieved” by the news that the officers were being released and that there were no fatalities in the incident. She also thanked the “often overlooked” representatives from the Southern Connecticut Gas Co. and United Illuminating who were on scene.

Read Sayre’s full letter at the New Haven Register here.

See also:

• GoFundMe Created For 9 Officers Seriously Injured In Explosion
• In-Depth Look At North Haven Explosion

Photo courtesy of Mygen Alfafara