*Updated with Photos* Firefighters Quickly Knock Down Fire in Mercurio Home

Firefighters Wednesday night quickly knocked down a fire in a second-floor bedroom of an Elm Street house owned by Frank Mercurio, who had owned the longtime Mercurio's grocery store downtown that closed several years ago after more than 100 years as a landmark in Fairfield Center.

No one was injured, firefighters said.

Assistant Fire Chief William Kessler said arriving firefighters saw flames in a second-floor bedroom and smoke emanating from the 185 Elm St. house around 9:41 p.m. He said Mercurio and a friend already had left the house when firefighters arrived.

"The fire was held in the room of origin on the second floor, a bedroom," Kessler said, adding that smoke damage was in other parts of the house.

Kessler said firefighters had the fire under control in about 10 minutes but had to make sure the fire hadn't extended beyond the bedroom and had to ventilate the house. He said the preliminary damage estimate from the fire was $40,000 to $50,000 and that the cause of the fire was electrical in nature.

Four engine companies, a ladder company, a rescue company and a shift commander's car responded to the scene, and American Medical Response had an ambulance stationed nearby. Several police cars responded, and Elm Street, between Round Hill Road and North Benson Road, was closed to traffic, Kessler said.

Kessler said the home probably wasn't habitable because it wouldn't have any electrical service for a while and has a smoky odor.

Westport firefighters sent an engine company to Fire Station 1 on Reef Road in Fairfield and Bridgeport firefighters sent an engine company and a ladder company to Fire Station 2 on Jennings Road in case more calls came in, Kessler said.

The house, owned by Mercurio and Carole D. Mercurio, was most recently assessed at $316,120 and is on a quarter-acre. It was built in 1975, according to tax records.