Feb. 06--NORWALK -- Twenty Oakwood Avenue condominium complex residents were displaced by an early morning fire Sunday that destroyed the structure.
Two tenants were treated at Norwalk Hospital for minor burns and smoke inhalation, Norwalk Fire Chief Denis McCarthy said.
Twenty people in the units were displaced, McCarthy said, with nine of the 15 units in the building heavily damaged.
More than 30 Norwalk firefighters responded to the blaze, which started shortly before 6 a.m.
The fire started in a first-floor unit of the building and quickly ignited at least two 20-pound propane barbecue tanks outside the building, Norwalk fire marshal Glen Iannaccone said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Iannaccone said.
Red Cross officials said they are assisting residents from up to 13 units who fled what one observer described as "an inferno."
Fire crews from New Canaan and Wilton assisted at the scene.
The three-story wooden structure was destroyed in the fire. No fatalities or major injuries have been reported. "People were running into the parking lot to rescue their cars and driving across lawns and hoses," said Norwalk resident Rick Reardon, who arrived at the scene at about 5:45 a.m., shortly after the blaze started.
The Red Cross reported it was providing financial assistance for emergency clothing needs to one victim of the fire, as well as a Red Cross Comfort Kit with personal care items.
"All the affected families are working with their insurance providers to meet immediate needs and many were able to retrieve some basic items from their homes," said Red Cross spokesman Paul Shipman.
Shipman said his agency gave information packages with resources on recovering from fires to each of the families.
Copyright 2012 - The Stamford Advocate, Conn.
