Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Firefighter Falls Through Floor Battling House Fire

See updates at bottom:

After Noroton Heights Fire Department put out a house fire at 261 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd. early Wednesday afternoon, a firefighter was asked why Darien EMS-Post 53 had arrived at the station house to attend to him.

"What's the matter?" a man asked him, "Smoke inhalation?"

"No," the young man said. "I fell through the floor."

He felt fine and -- to look at him -- seemed fine, but department officers suggested he visit Stamford Hospital just to be sure.

The fire was reported at 12:40 p.m., according to the Darien Fire Marshal's office. 

The roof of the two-story home was heavily damaged in an area around the chimney.

Darien Patch has left a message with Fire Marshal Robert Buch asking for more information about the fire.

Update 4:57 p.m.:

Flames about four feet high were coming from a 15-foot-wide section of the roof of the house at 261 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd., when the Noroton Heights fire chief arrived at the scene, he said.

Fire Chief Ron Riolo said about 40 firefighters from the Noroton Heights, Noroton and Darien volunteer fire departments were on the scene, with trucks from all three departments, and had the fire under control within 30 minutes. 

The fire appeared to have started on the second floor, he said, but the cause was still being investigated by Darien Fire Marshal Robert Buch by late afternoon Wednesday.

There were a couple of hard spots in the attic that were difficult for firefighters to get to, Riolo said, so they approached them from outside the roof.

Riolo said physicians were still examining one firefighter who fell through the attic floor. The chief declined to say how rare an occurrence that kind of fall can be, only that "it's one of the situations that can occur."

Update 4:02 p.m.:

According to a report in the Darien News, the fire started on the second floor, where there was extensive damage, as well as damage to the attic. The basement was damaged by water. The master bedroom was gutted, but the 40 firefighters from all three town volunteer departments got the fire under control within 30 minutes.

Fire was coming through the roof when firefighters arrived at the scene, Riolo told Darien News.


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