Westport Fire Department Latest News

Sept 28 2010.... This morning at 11:14 AM the Westport Fire Department responded with Connecticut State Police, Westport EMS and Norwalk Hospital Paramedics to a two car accident with injuries on the Merritt Parkway southbound between exits 41-40. Upon arrival responding units found two vehicles, each with airbags deployed, with the drivers of both cars reporting minor injuries. One vehicle was missing a front wheel and the other had left the roadway, stuck several small trees and came to rest back on the pavement in the travel lane. Firefighters assisted Westport EMS and Norwalk Paramedics with assessment of injuries, packaging, and placement on stretchers for transportation to Norwalk Hospital for observation. Fluid spills from both vehicles were cleaned up and both vehicles were removed by Parkway Auto Body of Norwalk. One lane was maintained southbound for the duration of the incident and the last fire department vehicle left the scene at 11:59 AM.

ROLLOVER ON COMPO ROAD SOUTH

Sept 24 2010.... At 3:08 AM today the Westport Fire Department responded with Westport Police and EMS to a reported rollover with injuries in the area of #302 South Compo Road. Upon arrival responding units found a Jeep Grand Cherokee that had veered off the roadway and struck a jeep wrangler parked on the side of the road and then rolling over coming to rest on its roof. The driver was still in the vehicle hanging by his seat belt. Firefighters assisted Westport EMS with removal of the driver and placement on a backboard and stretcher for transport to Norwalk Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The vehicles were removed by two Riverside Sunoco by flatbed wreckers. The last fire department unit cleared the scene at 4:15 AM. The accident is under investigation by the Westport Police Department.

CAR INTO RIVER ON FORD ROAD

Sept 23 2010.... Shortly before 3 PM this afternoon the Westport Fire Department along with the Westport Police responded to a report of a vehicle off the road, hanging over the Saugatuck River, with the driver still in the vehicle. Engine Co. 6 from the Coleytown Station along with Rescue 3, Engine 2 and the Shift Commander from Fire Headquarters responded to the scene. Upon arrival units found a late model sedan partial down the embankment of the Saugatuck River. The driver of the vehicle, who remained inside, was complaining of dizziness and a previous medical condition. Westport EMS was summoned to the scene and Firefighters removed the patient to safety and administer care. A small motor oil leak was diked by Firefighters until the vehicle could be removed at which time Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the incident. The last Fire Department unit cleared the scene at 3:41:24 PM.

MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES

Sept 22 2010.... The Westport Fire Department responded to numerous calls between 2030 hrs and 2200 hrs when a fast moving storm passed through the area. These calls included three lightning strikes damaging residences. A lightning strike on Bushy Ridge damaged interior sheet rock and exterior siding. Fire Fighters cut away siding to check for any type of fire extension. None was found. A lightning strike on Warnock Drive caused a fire in an interior wall and Fire Fighters had to cut through the sheet rock to extinguish the fire and to check for fire extension. A third strike on Country Rd. struck a tree in the front yard and the electrical current from the lightning followed into the garage and blew up a control panel for a lawn irrigation system. Due to the call load Fairfield Fire Department sent their Engine 4 to cover Westport Fire Headquarters and respond to calls.

TRACTOR TRAILER VS CAR ON I95

Sept 21 2010.... at approx 1439 Westport Fire Department was summoned to I 95 southbound south of exit 17 in Westport for a reported motor vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer and passenger car. First arriving Westport fire units found a passenger car pinned underneath and against the rear wheels of a trailer carrying hazardous waste for the State of Connecticut with the driver still seated in the passenger vehicle. The driver of the passenger vehicle escaped serious injury and was able to exit the vehicle with assistance by Westport Firefighters and EMS The trailer was hauling PCB contaminated soil for the State of Connecticut and none of the hazardous materials being transported was spilled during the incident. One Engine Company, one Rescue Company and the Command Car responded from Westport Fire with 8 personnel along with one ambulance and two paramedics from Westport EMS. All Westport emergency units cleared the scene at 1516 hrs.

COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE

Sept 18 2010.... at 10:53 PM Westport Fire Department responded to an automatic alarm at 222 Post Rd West. Arriving firefighters heard the building’s sprinkler system gong ringing and observed smoke on the first and second floors of Blackstone Textiles. Firefighters forced entry to the main door of the business and searched for the source of the smoke. Fire attack lines were stretched to the second floor of the occupancy where the fire was located in a computer work station on the selling floor. An activated sprinkler head had kept the fire in check until firefighters extinguished a chair, computer and paper goods in the work station. The building was then systematically ventilated until all smoke was removed from the occupancy. Businesses on the first floor were entered and merchandise was covered with salvage covers and moved to protect it from water damage that would have been caused by the sprinkler activation. Fire crews remained on the scene until the building was turned over to the owner at 12:26 AM.Fire damage was limited because of the presence of a working sprinkler system.

FISHY SITUATION ON I95

Sept 20 2010.... at 6:17PM this evening the Westport Fire Department, State Police, Connecticut DOT and DEP responded to a report of a trailer truck rollover on I-95 southbound between exits 17 &16. Engine 4 from the Saugatuck station, Rescue 3 and the shift commander’s car responded from fire headquarters to the scene. Upon arrival Engine 4 found a flatbed truck on its side with 2500 pounds of live fish spilled on the highway. Approximately 10 gallons of diesel fuel from the fuel tank ran across all three lanes of the highway. Further inspection found a leaking 300 lb. liquid oxygen tank on its side. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured. State DEP was notified and requested to respond to the scene. Firefighters worked to control the diesel fuel leak and up righted the liquid oxygen tank to reduce the volume of the leak. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection responded and condemned the entire load of fish. The vehicle was up righted and towed from the scene by Buds Truck Service of Bridgeport. The fish was transported by flatbed to Buds for holding until properly destroyed under direction of Consumer Protection. The liquid oxygen tank was required to be discharged to a safe area under direction of DEP. To increase safety and move the process along, the tank was submerged in a 3000 gallon tank of water that was supplied by the Weston Fire Department on mutual aid request. Only one lane of traffic was able to pass the scene during the entire operation which took until 10 PM to clean up.

ONE CAR, TWO LIGHT POLES AND A SIGN ON I95

Sept 12 2010.... at 2:26 PM the Westport Fire Department along with Connecticut State Police and Westport EMS responded to a reported single car motor vehicle accident with injuries on I-95 northbound between exit 17 and 18. Upon arrival responding units found a car that had struck two light poles and a traffic sign and come to rest off to the right should of the road. The driver was out of the vehicle conscious and lying on the ground upon arrival. Firefighters assessed the driver and found him to have non-life threatening injuries. Firefighters assisted Westport EMS with placing the driver on a backboard and stretcher and into the ambulance for transport to Norwalk Hospital for observation. The car battery was disconnected and units stood by until the vehicle was removed by flatbed truck from Westport Service Center. The accident is under investigation by the Connecticut State Police and Connecticut DOT is repairing the light poles and sign damaged in the incident.

BRUSH FIRE ON THE MERITT PARKWAY

Sept 6 2010....at approximately 3:33pm Westport Fire Department responded to a brush fire in the medium on the Merritt Parkway Eastbound between Exit 42 and 44. The area burning was approximately ten foot by fifty foot. Westport Fire responded with an Engine Company and a Command Car. Fairfield Fire Department assisted with an Engine Company. The fire was quickly extinguished and both Engine companies continued to wet down the area because of the extremely dry conditions. The last fire apparatus cleared the scene at 1600.

OFFICIALS URGE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

August 30 2010.... with Hurricane Earl threatening to impact the North East Coast within the next few days, Westport Emergency Management officials are making last minute preparations to try to minimize the effect on local residents as much as possible. As a National Weather Service-designated “StormReady” community, Westport today began regular weather briefings with weather forecasters on the progress of Hurricane Earl and other developing storms. Also, all town departments involved in emergency preparedness-related tasks were reviewing their plans and staffing schedules for the end of the week. Residents may download a preparedness guide provided by NOAA by clicking here.

CAR INTO THE SAUGATUCK RIVER

August 23 2010.... At 8:19 AM today, the Westport Fire Department responded to a reported car into the Saugatuck River on Imperial Ave. Westport PD were first on scene and reported the driver was out of the vehicle. Firefighters checked the driver for injuries, while evaluating the scene. The car had slid off the roadway at a curve and ended upright a few feet into the river. Westport EMS evaluated the driver and she refused transport to the hospital. The vehicle did not leak fuel or other liquids into the river. Firefighters had to cut a tree that was blocking the car’s removal. The car was removed from the river by a local towing service. The last fire department vehicle left the scene at 9:00 AM. The cause of the accident is being investigated by Westport PD.

ELECTRICAL FIRE

August 20 2010.... at 1:04 PM today, the Westport Fire Department responded to a reported fire in a wall outlet at 285 Greens Farms Rd. Arriving firefighters were met by the homeowner and directed to a bedroom where the fire had started. The homeowner stated that flames were coming from the outlet and she went to the electrical panel and turned off the circuit breaker for that room and then called the fire department. Firefighters checked the wall for extension of the fire and found that it was limited to the outlet and the edge of a mattress that was against the wall. The mattress was removed from the room. An inspector from the Westport Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire. The last Westport Fire Department unit left the scene at 1:36 PM.

TRACTOR TRAILER STRIKES BRIDGE ON MERRITT PARKWAY

August 17 2010.... at 11:48am a tractor trailer mistakenly got on the Merritt Parkway at exit 42 and proceeded north bound striking the North Ave overpass. The truck was carrying 30,000 pounds of food-grade flour headed for Rhode Island. The Westport Fire Department assisted the salvage contractor in removing the flour from the trailer by cutting a hole in the side of the trailer. The flour that was removed was inspected by a Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Inspector who determined which flour sacks could be transported and which had to be discarded. State Police had to shut down the roadway for a while so the contractor could bring equipment up to the scene by going the wrong way from Fairfield. Fire Department personnel remained on scene for almost 6 hours to assist the contractor and State Police to safely bring the situation to an end.

TWO CAR MVA ON WILTON ROAD

August 15 2010.... at 7:52 AM today, the Westport Fire Department responded to a multi-vehicle accident at the intersection of Kings Hwy North and Wilton Rd. Westport Firefighters checked both drivers for injuries and secured the scene, putting down speedi dri to absorb fluids and disconnecting the batteries to prevent electrical problems. Both drivers were turned over to Westport EMS for further evaluation and they refused transport to the hospital. Both cars had heavily damaged front ends and had to be towed from the scene. Westport PD is in charge of the investigation and diverted traffic from the area for the duration of the evaluation and cleanup. The last Westport Fire Department unit left the scene at 8:34 AM.

ROLLOVER ON I95 NORTHBOUND AT EXIT 18

August 15 2010.... at 5:48 this morning the Westport Fire Department responded to the report of a roll over on Interstate 95 that ended up approximately 1 mile north of exit 18. There was 1 victim with minor injuries who was able to crawl out of the over turned car prior to the first unit on scene. Westport EMS treated and transported the victim to the hospital.

SMOKE IN TWO BUILDINGS ON MAIN STREET

July 14 2010.... at 5:14 PM today, the Westport Fire Department received a call reporting smoke in the basements of Eileen Fisher’s Clothing and Achorn Pharmacy. Firefighters responded with four engines, a rescue truck and the shift commander’s vehicle. Firefighters combed through both stores to find the source of the smoke and odor. After a process of elimination, it was determined that the source of the problem was a faulty portable air conditioning unit in the basement of Eileen Fisher Clothing. Firefighters disconnected the unit and ventilated both stores to remove the odor. Main St. was reduced to one lane of traffic in that area by Westport PD for the duration of the call. The last fire department unit left the scene at 6:33 PM.

EXTRICATION I95 NB AT EXIT 17 - SEVEN PATIENTS

July 10 2010.... at 10:30 this evening the Westport Fire Department, Westport Police, Westport and Norwalk EMS responded to a report of a vehicle over the guard rail on I-95 Northbound at exit 17. An engine from the Saugatuck Station and a rescue and Shift Commanders vehicle from Fire Headquarters responded. Westport Police units arrived on scene and reported that the driver of the vehicle was trapped and needed extrication. The Norwalk Fire Department was then requested to assist and responded with and engine, rescue and their Shift Commanders vehicle. Upon our arrival, further investigation found that this was a two vehicle accident with one vehicle, a Mitsubishi Lancer on top of the guard rail and another vehicle, a Lexus RX 350 SUV on its side against a tree 50 feet off the highway. Firefighters from both fire departments worked together to gain access to the vehicle through a hole cut in a fence on Hiawatha lane, cutting the roof off of the Lexus SUV, and removing the driver onto a stokes basket. The driver was then placed on a stretcher and taken to Norwalk Hospital along with another occupant that was out of the vehicle upon arrival, by Norwalk EMS. The extent of her injuries was unknown. The other 5 injured occupants of the Mitsubishi were transported to Norwalk Hospital by Westport EMS with minor injuries. The wooded area at the crash site was checked with thermal imaging cameras for any other victims and the car on the guard rail was secured and made safe. The Westport Fire units stayed on scene by request of State Police for lighting purposes during their investigation. The vehicles were removed by Riverside Service Center and the last Fire Department unit cleared the scene at 12:53 AM.

HAZARDOUS CONDITION AT CORPORATE CENTER

July 8 2010.... at 12:38 PM the Westport Fire Department received a call from the property manager at the Westport Corporate Center at 8 Wright St to assist with a section of the structure that was hanging from the building. The Shift Commander and Truck Company 1 responded and found a large section of the exterior ceiling assembly hanging by one side precariously over the building at 1 Wilton Rd. A Westport Building official responded and estimated the weight of the piece to be approximately 500 pounds. That prompted the immediate evacuation of the building below and the adjacent parking lots. Rescue Company 3 was requested to the scene to protect the building’s gas meter and piping that was directly below the hanging ceiling piece that the building official referred to as “hanging by glue and tape”. They worked directly below placing wood timbers to deflect the potential collapse from severing the high flow gas line. The property manager was able to secure a high-lift construction aerial and work crew to come out remove the hanging ceiling member. Fire Department crews stood by as they cut the hanging ceiling member into smaller pieces and brought it down safely. The last Fire Department units cleared the scene at 7:45 PM.

STRUCTURE FIRE - TWO TRAILER PARK UNITS ABLAZE

July 7 2010.... at approximately 9:55 pm the Westport Fire department responded to a structure fire at 1655 Post Road East, the Sasco Creek Village trailer park, units # 86 and # 88. Upon arrival the rear portions of both units, which were attached, were both heavily involved in fire. Unit # 86 suffered severe damage and was deemed uninhabitable. Unit # 88 suffered moderate damage to the attic and roof. Unit # 14 had vinyl siding melted due to the proximity to the burning buildings. Members of Truck 1 escorted the occupant of Unit # 88 out of the dwelling. The resident of Unit # 86 got out on his own. Fire suppression was initially slowed down because of a large quantity of fire works exploding inside the residence. A quantity of propane cylinders in proximity to the fire also had to be moved away from the fire. Fairfield Fire Department responded directly to the scene to assist as Rapid Intervention Team. Wilton Fire Department provided an Engine company to cover Westport Fire Headquarters and to respond to any other incidents. The Westport Fire Department responded with four engines, one ladder truck and one Command Car. The last Fire Department left the incident at 0130 hours. A fire watch of one Engine was then detailed to the scene. Two Fire Fighters were slightly injured during the fire and were transported to Norwalk Hospital for further evaluation.

MUTUAL AID TO BRIDGEPORT........SECOND TIME IN 12 DAYS

July 6 2010.... at 8:53 am the Westport Fire Department received a call for mutual aid to the City of Bridgeport. This was the second time within a twelve day period that Westport had been asked by the city to assist. Bridgeport Firefighters were on scene of a warehouse fire in the west end of the city, tying up all Bridgeport Fire units. Westport sent Truck 1 with four firefighters and Engine 2 with three firefighters to provide coverage for the Bridgeport Fire Department. During the time of the coverage, both Westport units along with units from Milford, Fairfield and Trumbull responded to a high rise fire on the 10^th floor of the Embassy Towers on Park Ave.

Firefighters had to deal with the sweltering heat of the day as well as the fire. All responders had to climb the ten floors with all their equipment to extinguish the blaze and evacuate all of the two hundred forty residents of the building. A Bridgeport Battalion Chief was the only Bridgeport Fire Department unit on that scene. Deputy Chief Jonathan Gottfried and Assistant Chief Andrew Kingsbury of the Westport Fire Department also responded to Bridgeport with the Westport units to assist with the coverage. Deputy Chief Gottfried said “Mutual aid units from the various communities worked well together under extreme weather conditions and a difficult fire.”

Additional Westport firefighters were hired back to fully staff Westport units in town for the duration of the mutual aid coverage. Truck 1 returned to Westport at 12:45 pm and Engine 2 provided coverage for Bridgeport Fire Headquarters until 4:00 pm.

above photos published with permission from firegroundimages.com

VW MICRO VAN CATCHES FIRE

July 2 2010.... at 6:06 pm the Westport Fire Department and Westport Police Department responded to a reported van on fire at the intersection of Post Road West ( Rte. 1) and Kings Highway South. Upon arrival, police reported that the van was “fully involved” in fire and they shut the road down to traffic. The driver of the van was able to save only a few items from the interior of the van before being driven back by heat from the fire that he reported started in the rear engine compartment. Engine 4 from the Saugatuck Station arrived on scene and stretched an 1 ½” hose line and started attacking the fire. Due to the engine block constructed of magnesium, a combustible metal, foam was also utilized as well as several dry chemical extinguishers.

Engine 2 from Fire Headquarters arrived to assist as Engine 4 was running out of water. They used water from their tank to continue to extinguish the van and it’s contents. A total of 1,000 gallons of water was used to extinguish this difficult fire. The Volkswagen “micro bus” of early 1970’s era was a total loss as was the majority of the contents. Crews remained on scene to overhaul any remaining fire and await the removal of the van by flatbed wrecker. The last fire department unit cleared at 7: 18 PM.

EF1 TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN IN CITY OF BRIDGEPORT

WESTPORT RESPONDS MUTUAL AID

June 24 2010.... at approximately 2:00pm on Thursday afternoon severe weather entered the Fairfield County area. At 2:15pm a tornado warning was issued by the NWS for this area. At approx 2:50pm reports started coming in for severe damage in the City of Bridgeport including multiple collapsed structures. The State Urban Search & Rescue Team, including two members of the Westport Fire Department, was activated by the Governor's office and responded to a staging area at a firehouse in Bridgeport. At approx 3:00 pm Westport Fire Department was asked to assist Bridgeport with the catastrophic effects of the storm. Rescue Company 3 and Engine Company 2 responded from headquarters. When Westport units arrived in Bridgeport they immediately went to work responding to numerous calls for structural damage, power lines down, and a structure fire. At one point the Rescue and Engine had to assist in evacuating a 7 story apartment for seniors that was feared would collapse. At 10:00 pm Bridgeport Police Department requested the Terex Light tower that is co-owned by the Westport Police and Fire Departments to assist in their night time operations. This is yet another example of communities coming together with resources in a time of crisis.

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