Fairfield Firefighters Extinguish Closet Fire on Burr Street

A homeowner is being credited by firefighters for using proper procedure when a fire started in a bedroom closet in his home Saturday evening.

According to a report from Assistant Chief George Gomola of the , firefighters responded to a report of a bedroom fire at 1035 Burr Street at about 6:55 p.m. On arrival they saw heavy smoke coming from the window of a first floor bedroom.

According to the report, the homeowner tried to extinguish the closet fire with water from a bathroom before firefighters arrived, but with no success. He then closed the door to the closet and exited the house with his family, calling 911.

Assistant Chief Gomola, the fire incident commander, said closing the closet door and exiting the building made all the difference.

“Fire, smoke and heat spreads very quickly,” he said in his report. “By closing the door to the fire room, the homeowner confined the fire to the room of origin.”

Firefighters from Ladder 1 and Ladder 2 performed a search and rescue, locating a family cat, Gomola said. Meanwhile firefighters from Engine 5, led by Lt. Roger Caisse, quickly extinguish the fire. Firefighters also ventilated the rest of the house to remove the smoke from the rest of the dwelling.

Firefighting efforts were complicated by heavy snow, but no injuries were reported, Gomola said.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.