Resident Escapes House Fire In North Haven: Officials

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A working smoke detector is being credited with helping a resident escape a house fire Wednesday night in North Haven, according to officials.

North Haven dispatch received a 911 call around 11:40 p.m. on May 3 from a resident who said their battery-operated smoke detector had activated and smoke was filling the house.

The resident was instructed to leave the house immediately and wait for firefighters to arrive, according to fire officials.

North Haven Fire Department units arrived to find light smoke visible from the front of the house.

“Engine 1 under the command of Captain Marino initiated an interior search for the source of the smoke and encountered a heavy smoke condition with no visibility,” officials wrote in a post on the North Haven Fire Department’s Facebook page. “Additional arriving crews were assigned interior search for victims, ventilation and water supply.

“While searching for the fire with thermal imaging cameras, a burning chair was located in the Livingroom and was quickly extinguished and removed by firefighters. Crews remained on scene and ventilated the structure to reduce damage to the contents. As a result of the early smoke detector activation alerting the occupant to the fire, quick action by 911 operators and a rapid response by North Haven Firefighters, no one was injured and only minor damage was sustained to the property. Despite minor damage, the occupant and their pet stayed with friends for the rest of the night. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the NoHFD FM Office.

“The North Haven Fire Department wants to remind all residents about the importance of having working smoke detectors in their home, especially at night so as to alert you to fires while you are sleeping. Smoke Detectors Save Lives.”