FEBRUARY 27, 2015
BRIDGEPORT, CT
Firefighters rescued three people and one pet from a
three-alarm blaze that broke out at a home under construction and quickly
decimated three buildings on Hanover Street in Bridgeport, according to a
spokesperson for the city.
Flames ignited Friday morning on the second floor of 350
Hanover Street and quickly spread to three adjacent buildings, the fire
department said. City officials said 10-12 families lost their homes as a
result.
Dominick Carfi, deputy chief of operations for the
Bridgeport Fire Department, said the house was undergoing renovations to repair
damage from a previous fire two years ago. Firefighters received reports that
construction crews were working at the time the fire broke out.
Homes on Hanover Street were built in close proximity, some
only 15 feet apart, and fire officials said intense heat caused the houses next
door to auto-ignite.
"The source of the fire was in the basement in that
home, and it jumped to the house that was just a few feet apart," said
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.
The home at 350 Hanover Street had already collapsed by the
time crews arrived at the scene, city officials said. Footage from the scene
shows only the shell of a home remains.
Video from viewer Marcello Scolari shows massive flames
shooting from the roofs and heavy smoke rising into the air.