An early morning house fire in the town of Westbrook, Conn., about 26 miles northeast of New Haven along the shore of Long Island Sound, injured two residents and saw a firefighter fall through the roof Sunday.
As first reported by WVIT-TV, firefighters were called to the home on Lookout Road around 8 a.m. and, upon arriving, found heavy fire. According to officials, there were three people inside the home at the time of the fire. Two occupants escaped with minor injuries and were transported to a medical center for treatment. The third person was being evaluated for smoke inhalation.
The blaze required backup support from neighboring towns, including Clinton and Old Saybrook, to help extinguish the flames.
The home's location posed challenges for fire crews because the road it is on is small and narrow. Westbrook Fire Marshal John Flaherty stated that getting a lot of fire trucks in the area was difficult.
As crews were working to extinguish the fire, Flaherty said one firefighter from Old Saybrook fell through the home's roof. The firefighter reportedly sustained scrapes but did not suffer serious injury in the fall.
An Old Saybrook Fire Department representative tweeted that the firefighter who fell through the roof “landed on their feet and was able to walk out of the building without medical attention.”
The fire was reportedly brought under control in about 20 minutes; the home sustained heavy damage and is likely now uninhabitable. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
