Fire Log: Carbon Monoxide Forces Stop & Shop Evacuation

The following information was provided by the Office of the Fire Marshal:

It was an unusually busy week for Darien's fire departments, who fielded 30 separate calls in just seven days. According to Fire Marshal Bob Buch, many of the contributing fire alarm activations—19 in all—were likely attributable to the extreme heat and humidity.

Monday, July 5

KITCHEN FIRE: Around 10:58 a.m., the Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 187 Noroton Avenue. The small blaze, which was sparked in the kitchen of the residence, caused damage to the stove and cabinets and additional smoke damage throughout the house before being extinguished. Buch said the cause was unattended cooking.

Tuesday, July 6

ARCING ELECTRICAL LINES: Around 8:33 a.m., the Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to a set of arcing electrical lines outside of 140 West Avenue.

Wednesday, July 7

CARBON MONOXIDE INCIDENT: Around 11:22 a.m., the Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to a carbon monoxide incident in the Stop & Shop at 148 Heights Road. Workers at the store, which is temporarily closed for renovations, were using a gas powered saw to cut the concrete floor when one of them passed out. The cause was believed to be the heat until the man was taken to a hospital, where a high level of carbon monoxide was found in his system. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene, where they metered the area, evacuated the Stop & Shop and neighboring Walgreen's, and ventilated both spaces until the gas had been removed from the structure.

SMOKE SCARE: The Darien Fire Department responded to a report of smoke at The Melting Pot (14 Grove Street) around 8:35 p.m. The cause was determined to be smoke from food cooking at the restaurant.

Thursday, July 8

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT/FUEL LEAK: The Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident/fuel leak outside of 262 West Avenue around 4:26 p.m.

BRUSH FIRE: The Darien Fire Department responded to a report of a brush fire outside the Darien Train Station around 5:26 p.m. The blaze was small enough that a police officer who arrived on the scene first was able to extinguish it before firefighters arrived. No cause was determined, but Buch said the source might have been a spark from a passing train that ignited the dry brush.

Friday, July 9

ALARM ACTIVATION: The Darien Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at Post Road Partners LLC (745 Post Road) around 5:23 a.m. The cause was traced to smoke in the basement of the building.

Saturday, July 10

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT/INJURY: Around 9:37 a.m., the Darien Fire Department and Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident/injury at exit 11 of I-95 south.

CARBON MONOXIDE SCARE: The Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to carbon monoxide alarm activation at Avalon Bay (137 Hollow Tree Ridge Road) around 9:42 p.m. Once on scene, the alarm was determined to be unfounded.

Sunday, July 11

FATAL ACCIDENT: Around 1:33 a.m., the Noroton Heights Fire Department responded to the scene of a single-car accident at 122 Hollow Tree Ridge Road. The driver, later identified as Whitney Smith of Darien, crossed the double-yellow line, went airborne after striking an embankment, and crashed through portions of two houses before coming to rest in the kitchen at number 122. Smith was extracted by firefighters and transported to Stamford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Read the full story: Darienite Killed as Car Careens Through Two Houses

SMOKE SCARE: The Noroton Fire Department responded to the reported odor of smoke at 47 Nearwater Lane. The cause was determined to be an odor from a fireplace at the residence.