Firefighters Battle Brush Fire, Downed Power Line in Westport

Westport, CT - Local firefighters battled a brush fire caused by a downed power line just before 1 p.m. Wednesday near Elaine Road and Compo Road South, according to officials.

No injuries were reported but the blaze required the temporary closure of Compo Road South and one track, Track 3, of the Metro-North rail line, and a slowdown of train traffic on three other rail lines. All have since been reopened.

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The initial call reported an explosion and smoke in the area, and arriving units found an Eversource power line (that ran along the Metro North right of way near the tracks) down and arcing.

"The energized line had caused the brush and some railroad ties along the side of the track to catch on fire," wrote Westport Deputy Fire Chief Robert Kepchar in a statement.

The power line was de-energized before firefighters could douse the area with water to extinguish it.

Emergency personnel got the situation under control relatively quickly, and the last Westport Fire Department unit left the scene at 1:35 p.m.

"Westport Fire Officials would like to remind everyone that we are in a 'High Fire Danger Alert,' which means that conditions are very favorable for brush fires," Kepchar stated. "Please be careful with discarding smoking materials and anything capable of producing a spark or open flame, especially when near brush or other materials that could easily ignite."

Patch file photo