PHOTOS: Firefighting efforts to quell a blaze Saturday at an 18th-century home near the Wadsworth Mansion were hindered by a lack of hydrants in a wooded area of the city, officials said.
Fire crews responded to the report of a structure fire around 2:50 a.m. at 30 Laurel Grove Road, on a unpaved street with little water supply, according to Middletown Fire Chief Robert Kronenberger.
“When we got there, we found a heavy body of fire,” the chief said Tuesday afternoon, including in the garage. “It had spread all across the roof and went up high.”
The circa 1741 home had a three-bay garage and an in-law apartment, Kronenberger said.
The resident, who was awake and home at the time, heard a “popping” sound, so the person was able to call 911, and get out safely, Kronenberger said. “That’s what alerted them to the fire. Thank goodness.”