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Fire crews rescued three people from a heavy fire at a house in the heart of town early this morning, using 35-foot ladders to get them from the third floor because fire and smoke blocked their way via stairs or fire escape, Acting Fire Chief Shaun Heffernan said in an interview.
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No one was hurt. But six cats perished in the fire, fire officials said.
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Firefighters arrived at the two-family house at 674 Main St. shortly after 3:45 a.m. The house is located off Cedar Street and adjacent to the Blackstone Memorial Library. Firefighters were there fast. So were a trio of police officers who arrived at the scene before the fire department did. One police officer rescued a man from his second floor apartment.
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Firefighter Harvey Judd
“This was a time-critical incident,” Heffernan told the Eagle. “If there had been a few minutes delay, there would have been an entirely different outcome.”
With Permission
Branford Firefighters assist a 3rd floor occupant down the ladder.
When the firefighters arrived, Heffernan said, three occupants were hanging out the front of the third floor windows. A mother, her daughter and a man were taken down the ladders to safety. Their apartments were at the top of the house.
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The back of the house was fully involved in fire when the firefighters got to the scene, he added. The rear of the house may have been where the kitchen was located. Heffernan and top fire officials discussed strategy when they arrived at the scene.
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The two-family house built in 1910 has been converted for multi-family use. The owners live in Branford.
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As it happened, everyone assigned to fire headquarters early this morning was in place. “Everyone was in the station and that played an integral role in the outcome,” Heffernan said. The firefighting crews “did a phenomenal job.”
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The police officers who arrived first and rescued a man got there before the flames had spread to the front of the house. The scene of the fire is not far from police headquarters. It is believed that eight people lived in the house and the others got out on their own.
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Fighting a fire requires stamina and sometimes a moment to catch one’s breath.
Deputy Fire Chief Ron Mullen is in charge of the investigation into the origin and cause of the fire.
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The one important thing this article does not mention!
Is the fact that ,If ONE of Branford fires ambulances happen to be on another run ( which happens all the time ) it would have been a completely different out come on this fire !!! And , the problem I see ,is not with the fire department ! It's the people who have the "purse strings"!
I'm completely confedent in the ability of the Branford fire dept. But if one ambulance was out ! Those people would have been in eminent parrel ! They would have had to wait till another "truck company " got to the fire ! And the out come would have been 3 very critical , if not deceased residents !
35' ladders are not commonly kept on pumper !
24 ' ladders are common on pumps ! If they get there !!
I just also wanted to say to the Chiefs and staff , You made the difference last night !!! Lives where saved !!
HJ