Residents rescued from Stamford high-rise apartment fire
STAMFORD — Firefighters rescued residents who were trapped by the heat and smoke of a fire in the upper floors of a highrise apartment building Monday night, an official said.
One firefighter was injured in the three-alarm blaze, which was contained to an eighth-floor apartment in the 12-story building on Strawberry Hill Avenue, Deputy Fire Chief Matt Palmer said Tuesday.
Palmer declined to say exactly how the firefighter was injured nor did he identify him but said the incident was “non-traumatic.” The firefighter was later released from the hospital.
“I expect him to make a full recovery, and hopefully we’ll see him back to work within the next week,” Palmer said.
Firefighters responded to an activated fire alarm at the apartment building at about 8 p.m. Monday, he said. As firefighters were responding, they began receiving “additional 911 calls from residents at this location reporting black smoke on the eighth floor,” Palmer said.
More than two dozen firefighters responded to the high-rise, where they found smoke coming from the eighth floor.
“Due to the location of the fire and difficulties associated with firefighting operations in a high-rise apartment building, a second alarm was sounded,” Palmer said. “The second alarm brought an additional engine and truck company to the scene with eight personnel.”
The building is one of about 30 remaining in Stamford that were built before sprinkler systems were required by code, Palmer said, requiring crews to use standpipes located inside the fire to fight the blaze.
More than 100 people were evacuated from the building during the fire and had to be sheltered at the high school property across the street, he said.
“I believe all occupants were allowed back into their units with the exception of the original fire unit,” Palmer said. The unit where the fire broke out sustained substantial damage, he said.
Since the fire was contained quickly, the damage did not spread beyond that apartment, Palmer said, with only some smoke damage in the hallway outside.
Fire crews reached the eighth floor and contained the blaze to the apartment where it started, Palmer said. But smoke and heat had pushed into the floors above, requiring firefighters to reach trapped occupants on the upper floors, he said.
A third alarm was struck, sending more fire units to the scene, and bringing the total number of Stamford firefighters who responded to 49, Palmer said.
“Once under control, all companies remained at the scene to assist with smoke removal and assuring all residents were accounted for,” he said.
The fire marshal’s office was investigating the cause and origin of the fire.