West Hartford Fire: Three People Remain in Critical Condition, One Pet Dead (Updated)

WEST HARTFORD, CT – Three people remained in critical condition Thursday afternoon and one pet cat died in an early morning fire that displaced 100 residents at the Westwood Condominiums in West Hartford, according to the Hartford Courant.

The fire ripped through the complex, located at 140 Kane Street, during the overnight hours and firefighters rescued several people from their balconies.

It took firefighters about an hour and 15 minutes to knock down the blaze, fire officials told the Courant.

Fire broke out at 2:16 a.m. on the second floor and spread fast because the building had no sprinklers, NBC Connecticut reports. Fire officials said if the building had sprinklers they likely could have contained the damage to one unit.

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Most of the residents suffered from smoke inhalation and respiratory burns.

Razia Babajan, a mother of three, described to NBC Connecticut how firefighters rescued residents.

"I couldn't see anything. I was about to fall from the stairs and the fire department helped us. That was really nice of them. They picked up the kids and we just got out from the house," she said.

The American Red Cross set up a temporary shelter to help support the displaced residents. The Red Cross provided lunch and dinner, as well as beverages and snacks throughout the day.

The Red Cross also provided 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.

The shelter, which was located inside Elmwood Community Center, 1106 New Britain Avenue, was closed on Thursday night after all of the displaced residents were able to find a place to stay, according to a Facebook page that was set up to provide updates on the fire.

“They (the Red Cross) were here all day working tirelessly to provide comfort and reassurance to the displaced residents of 140 Kane Street,” the statement on the Facebook page said. “Of the 40 households living there not one needed assistance with lodging. Each was able to find a safe place to stay. Hats off to Red Cross for the great job they did all day at Elmwood Community Center.

“Thanks too to the Joseph family and Shop Rite who stepped up with a ‘we will do anything we can to help’ offer early in the day. 140 Kane Street is immediately next door to Shop-Rite so this is just a great example of a corporate neighbor helping those in need.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.