Crime & Safety

[UPDATE] Southbury Firefighters Clear Scene, Condo Suffers Extensive Damage

State Fire Marshal's Office conducting cause and origin investigation; blaze reportedly started as oven fire.

UPDATE [10 P.M.] After hours of fighting and containing a Heritage Village structure fire Southbury FD has cleared the scene, according to Southbury Fire Lieutenant Jason Decremer.

The fire has now been turned over to the State Fire Marshal’s Office who is currently conducting a cause and origin investigation.

The condo took extensive fire and smoke damage, but there were no injuries reported, according to Decremer.

Find out what's happening in Southburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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[ORIGINAL STORY] Southbury firefighters continue to battle a structure fire that broke out in Heritage Village shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Find out what's happening in Southburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The blaze began as a stove fire and extended into the rest of condo unit 763D, owned by Dr. Norman Simon.

According to Simon, the fire started when a cookie he was baking fell down into the bottom of the oven. Simon attempted to retrieve the cookie from the oven bottom, but he could not, and the fire started just seconds later.

“I was baking cookies, it started when the cookie fell, it started fast, and from there it just spread,” said Simon.

Thick grey smoke and an occasional flame could be seen billowing out of the roof of the condo unit. First arriving crews encountered very heavy smoke conditions, according to Southbury Fire Lieutenant Jason Decremer.

Firefighters could not say whether the condo unit would be a complete loss. Simon is hoping for the best.

“I left my glasses on the kitchen table, he said. “I hope they are still there when I get back.”

There are no injuries reported. The scene is still active as of 6:45 p.m. Woodbury FD is assisting Southbury on scene with an engine and Sandy Hook has a standby crew at the Southbury Center Firehouse, according to Decremer.  


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