Officer saves couple from burning home

SHELTON — A Shelton police officer has been credited with saving the lives of a Meadow Street couple whose house suffered extensive damage from an early morning fire Sunday.

Officer Michael Kichar was on his way in to work about 6:55 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from a residence on Meadow Street, which is less than a mile from police headquarters. Kichar called 911 and then was able to wake and alert the residents of the home and help them and the family dog escape before firefighters arrived.

“(Kichar) deserves credit for saving their lives, or at least saving them from serious injury,” Fire Marshal James Tortora said.

Tortora said Kichar knocked numerous times before one of the homeowners came to the door. Tortora said the homeowners told the officer they were asleep and did not even know the house was on fire. Once all were rescued, Tortora said the home was engulfed in flames within minutes.

Firefighters from neighboring Monroe and Trumbull were called in to help local firefighters extinguish the blaze that was brought under control at 8:23 a.m. Tortora said the fire started in the garage area, which had been converted into an apartment that was unoccupied and used for storage. He added that the fire spread quickly into the attic and caused extensive damage to the single-story home.

No one was injured, but the home is not livable, Tortora said. Connecticut Red Cross responded to the scene to assist the homeowners. Tortora said the fire’s cause remains under investigation.