CORNWALL, Conn. --
A fire broke out at the home of a captain of the Cornwall Fire Department Friday morning, causing Route 7 to be closed in both directions.
The fire started at about 3:10 a.m. at Capt. Ralph Dzenitus' Kent Road home, fire officials said.
"They woke up to find fire on the wall dropping to the couch," Cornwall Fire Marshal Stan MacMillan said.
Officials told Eyewitness News that after the blaze began, Dzenitus sprinted a quarter of a mile down the street to the firehouse and brought a truck back to battle the blaze.
"Oh yeah, doesn't surprise me, knowing Ralph," Fire Chief Earle Tyler said.
When additional firefighters arrived at the home, they said the two-car garage was fully engulfed in flames.
"He built the place himself over 10 to 15 years," First Selectman Gordon Ridgway said. "To see it go up, it's very sad."
Firefighters said they only had 1,500 gallons of water and ran out while fighting the fire.
By the time water was pumped in from a nearby pond, they said the flames had spread to the attic. Fire officials said the fire reached three alarms.
"It's a heartbreak," Ridgway said.
"They're really good friends, really good people," neighbor Jean Kearns said. "It's devastating. Ralph put every nail into that house."
Route 7, which serves as a main line between the area and New York City, was closed for hours. Drivers were urged to use Route 45 or Route 22 as alternates. The roadway reopened just before 9 a.m.
Dzenitus' wife, two children and nephew were also home at the time of the fire, but were able to escape unharmed. No injuries were reported.
"You can't put a value on that," Ridgway said. "And lucky some of the content was saved."
"It affects everyone," Tyler said. "Our next concern is to help him, see what he needs."
The fire marshal said they're not sure what caused the fire.
Copyright 2009 by wfsb.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
