VIDEO: Firefighters in Wallingford doused flames at three separate locations in less than 12 hours. The fires, one of which led the the hospitalization of two firefighters, happened during Connecticutโs first heat wave of the season. The Wallingford Fire Department said it responded to the 2-alarm fire at the Staffordshire Commons apartment complex on Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters said at least six families were left without a home. George Castro said he was leaving a friend when he noticed smoke billowing from the roof of the complex. โI ran and started knocking on doors and trying to get as many people as possible outside,โ Castro said. He also said that while the people were the priority, the damage was unbelievable. โFirst thing was to get as many people as possible out because I wasnโt sure who was home,โ he said. โSafety later, just get the people outside.โ
Wallingford Fire Chief James Buck said no civilians were hurt; however three firefighters were minorly injured. Two of those firefighters were brought to the hospital. The heat and humidity added to the already tough task of putting out the fire. Buck said the firefighters had a system in place to ensure their crews were healthy. โWe need to rotate our crews so when crews come out, we want a fresh crew ready to go in,โ he explained. โWe make sure crews take off their coats, get an ice pack and really cool down. We have our vital signs taken so theyโre ready to now go back in and rotate in.โ The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Thursday morning. The American Red Cross helped the families who were displaced.
Less than an hour after the response to Staffordshire Commons, firefighters said a call came in about a fire at the Parker Place apartments. People were reportedly trapped on a balcony because of a stove fire. No one was hurt, but the building had significant damage.
The last fire happened at the Allnex chemical factory on Cherry Street Thursday morning. โLocal fire crews were the lead responders and had the situation under control upon arrival,โ said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. โDEEPโs Emergency Response Unit was on-site to assess any environmental impacts and assist with hazardous materials concerns.โ There were no concerns about any environmental impact. โAll chemicals involved appear to have been contained within the facility, and there is no known threat to public health or nearby waterways,โ DEEP said. However, the agency said the incident was under review because the company has a history of spills and reported failures. No injuries were reported there either. Fire officials said they expected to release more information later in the day.
