Dec. 25--BRIDGEPORT -- Christmas Eve was a time of vigilance, but not joy Tuesday for city firefighters.
A year ago, while other Bridgeport residents enjoyed their holiday celebrations, firefighters rushed from one fire to the next in the city's Hollow neighborhood.
By the end of a deadly day, three vacant buildings had been set on fire in little more than an hour -- and five buildings in all -- leaving one man dead and a firefighter injured.
"This is still an open case and detectives continue to work in conjunction with the fire marshal's office," said Bridgeport Police Capt. James Viadero.
The Christmas Eve fires began with a predawn blaze at a woodworking factory at 33 Knowlton St.
That alarm was followed in the afternoon by fires at 359 Olive St., 325 Center St. and 6 Madison Court, where firefighters found the charred body of 28-year-old Omar Chirinos, a homeless man who had been squatting in the building. The houses where the three vacant buildings burned were just blocks from each other.
At the time, police said they were seeking a man in his 50s wearing blue clothes. Witnesses told authorities they saw the man running from the fatal fire at 325 Center St., but a suspect was never caught.
The first vacant building fire began just before 1:45 p.m. at 359 Olive St., a 2 1/2-story, wood-frame home. While firefighters battled that blaze, they received another call 13 minutes later that the 1 1/2-story home on Center Street was burning.
While crews worked those two fires, a third call came in at 3:06 p.m. reporting the Madison Court blaze.
"This is scary," said Crystal Pedreira, who was at the Madison Court fire and the Center Street fire last year. "A lot of homeless people sleep in these vacant buildings."
Angel DeJesus saw both fires.
"Just 10 minutes after they put out Center Street, this building went up," he said of the Madison Court fire.
DeJesus also said homeless people had been staying in the building.
While firefighters attempted to extinguish the Madison Court fire, the Olive Street house went up again.
"Oh my God, this is crazy," said Jose Villafane, who saw the two-story Olive Street home go up in flames twice. "It's unbelievable -- on Christmas Eve yet. Thank God no one was living there."
Nine fire companies -- six engine and three ladder -- responded to the day's first blaze at 3 a.m. at the woodworking company. Although some units were recalled at 7 a.m., a number of firefighters stayed on the scene all day.
Just when it looked like firefighters could finally exhale, 55 George St. started burning around 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
By Christmas morning, the Center Street and George Street houses were on fire again, and once more, a city held its breath.
Anyone with information about the fires is urged to contact police at 203-581-5201.
Copyright 2013 - Connecticut Post, Bridgeport
