Flooding Delays Conn. Firefighters

CHESTER, Conn. --

The response to a fire in Chester was delayed several minutes Thursday night because the Connecticut River was overflowing onto the road leading to the blaze.

Fire officials said it took an extra seven minutes to get to the fire because of all the water from the rain and flooding earlier this week.

It took firefighters almost 45 minutes to extinguish the flames at the Sinclair Shipyard, which destroyed a building on the property and damaged a boat and excavator.

No Injuries were reported because of the fire.

At one point we were actually drafting water from the middle of the road to supply water for the fire, said Allen Alonzo, Valley Shore assistant fire chief.

Andrew Sholly's dinner was disrupted Thursday night at Moravela's in Chester when more than 60 firefighters were called out to the Sinclair shipyard, located at 52 Dock Road.

Sholly said, We were enjoying our pizza when one fire truck after flew by. We thought it was a terrorist attack. So many people were showing up.

By the time firefighters arrived, a storage shed at the shipyard was nearly burnt to the ground. A boat and excavator on site received damage as well.

Alonzo said, We had small personal vehicles that couldnt make it to the scene so we were ferrying people in on pick-up trucks and the apparatus themselves because of the high water over the road.

Witnesses said, despite all the setbacks first responders moved quickly.

The fire companies responded so quickly, Id be very happy to live in this town, Sholly said.

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