Fairfield Helps Extinguish Westport Condo Fire

The owners of a Harvest Commons condo escaped injury early Thursday morning when a fire broke out in their basement, but they have been displaced from their home.

Westport firefighters responded to the Post Road East condo complex just before 4 a.m. and quickly got the fire under control, but not before it caused extensive smoke damage to the unit and light smoke damage to an adjoining one.

The extent of damage has forced the family from their home, 506 Harvest Commons. The Red Cross is assisting them, according to a press release from Westport Assistant Fire Chief William Dingee.

Heavy smoke was coming from the structure when firefighters arrived. With support from Fairfield firefighters, they began a coordinated attack to extinguish the blaze, entering through the garage.

"As the crew in the basement worked to extinguish the fire, conditions on the first floor deteriorated as the floor became spongy due to heavy fire below," Dingee said. "Firefighters in the basement were ordered out of the structure due to the potential collapse of the floor above. Fire crews continued to attack the fire in the basement from the area where the fire had burned through the floor." 

The fire was then brought under control and extinguished. The cause is under investigation by members the Westport Fire Marshal’s Office. Westport Police assisted at the scene, as did Westport EMS and Public Works, which sanded the roadway in the area due to the buildup of icy conditions from water used to put the fire out.