Powder Horn Road Home Destroyed by Late-Night Fire [Update]

Update 2:20 p.m.:

Flames were shooting 30 feet in the air and fire was fully involved in the rear, second story and attic of a home at 25 Powder Horn Road by the time Norwalk firefighters arrived there shortly after the blaze was reported at 12:36 a.m., according to the city Fire Department.

Fire Lt. Robert Juda received a neck injury when part of a ceiling collapsed onto him while fighting the flames, according to a statement from the Fire Department. "He sought medical attention and did not return to work," the statement from Deputy Chief Edward Prescott said.

The American Red Cross assisted the residents—four adults and a 3-year-old child—who had all left the home before firefighters arrived. All five were uninjured.

Fire crews quickly searched the building after arrival and battled to contain the blaze, particularly to prevent it from spreading by thermal radiation to a neighboring home.

Fire Inspector Kosmas Kalmanidis investigated the cause of the fire and determined that the blaze may have originated with a homemade brick oven under the rear deck.

By 1:30 a.m., the blaze was under control. Firefighters remained at the scene, putting out hot spots, until 4:45 a.m., when all fire personnel had left the scene, according to the news release.

Original story:

Two firefighters received minor injuries battling a fire that destroyed a home at 25 Powder Horn Road shortly after midnight Monday.

Neighbors woken up by smoke called 911 at 12:36 a.m. Police reported that when they arrived three minutes later the two-story house already was fully involved in flames. Twelve hours later, the smell of smoke was still noticeable blocks away from the fire.

Firefighters could see the blaze from some distance away as they approached it, said Assistant Fire Chief Laurence Reilly. The back of the house was heavily involved in flames, which had gotten into the attic by the time they arrived. All residents of the home had already left it.

Initially, firefighters from the Volk Fire Station on Connecticut Avenue and Station 1 on New Canaan Avenue were called to the scene, near the Darien border in West Norwalk. Reilly said two pumpers, two aerial ladders, a rescue vehicle and command car were at the scene. Later, fire trucks from Meadow Street and East Norwalk stations arrived as reinforcements.

Of the 28 firefighters present, two received sprains. One of the two hurt his neck when a piece of ceiling fell on his helmet.

Fire Marshal Glenn Iannacone was investigating the fire, looking for a cause, Monday afternoon.