HAMDEN, Conn. -- A fire in the Broadmoor apartment complex at 630 Mix Ave left a number of residents stranded Tuesday in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
While dozens of residents may have been inconvenienced the situation could have become dire if not for the "heroic" police officers, who entered the burning building, in an effort to alert, and in some case carry people to safety."
The fire, which began in a second story unit in one of the six towers of the complex, created large amounts of smoke. After the fire was extinguished, Police Chief Thomas Wydra told residents of that building it would take "several hours to get back in," until it was fully ventilated. Some residents, with the help of firefighters, were allowed back in to retrieve pets.
Steve Smith, who lives on the fourth floor, said the fire started around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. He said he first noticed smoke coming in through his open patio door, only a half hour after power was restored to his apartment. Smith said Sandy knocked out power to the apartment at 6 p.m. Monday, during the height of the storm.
Mayor Scott Jackson said that it is believed the fire was caused by combustibles left on a stove. When the power was returned to the building, the stove turned back on and started the fire. Mayor Jackson urged all Hamden citizens without power to unplug any high power items, and most especially to make sure electric stoves are turned off.
According to Berardesca, no one was seriously injured. He said one resident was transported to a local hospital for smoke inhalation.
Berardesca said a number of other people, including police officers and firefighters, were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving.
Police Capt. Ronald Smith described police officers who responded as a "heroic group effort." Officers rescued people from the upper floors of the apartment building.
"They were the first people to arrive," Smith said. "They knocked on doors, tried to alert as many citizens as they possibly could. They carried several people down several flights of stairs."
Smith said that this fire came at an inopportune time. In the wake of Sandy, he said officers have been extremely busy dealing with bad roads, downed trees and power lines.
Smith said, "They have had a short break, but a lot of these officers have been working many, many hours."
Copyright 2012 - New Haven Register, Conn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
