Vernon Apartment House Fire Started With Couch: Report

VERNON, CT — It appears a Wednesaday afternoon fire that broke out at an East Main Street apartment house and displaced several people in Vernon started with a couch, according to the fire marshal's office.

The fire was reported at about 3:30 p.m. along the 120 block of East Main Street. Police said heavy smoke could be seen billowing out of of an upper floor window.

According to a preliminary report shared by the fire marshal's office on Thursday, a couch caught fire, but a quirky three-layer wall construction configuration prevented it from spreading beyond an upper-floor apartment.

There are three apartments in the building, authorities said.

According to the American Red Cross, Five families – nine adults and three children — were affected by the blaze.

The Red Cross is providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant; shaving supplies and other items a resident might not have been able to gather in the rush to escape the fire. In addition, a recovery envelope containing information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup; notification of important contacts; dealing with damaged items and more was provided.

Those affected will be connecting with Red Cross caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan, officials said.

One family was able to move in with relatives, officials said.

Photo Credit: Vernon Police

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