Westport Firefighters Extinguish Evening Car Fire on I-95
Firefighters were dispatched to I-95 in the southbound lanes, south of Exit 18, for the reported car fire. Flames could be seen underneath the vehicle as the Greens Farms firehouse engine arrived shortly after 5:30, quickly extinguishing the small fire. No other information was released. WestportLocal.com photo
Early Morning Fire Leaves Bridal Gowns Smoke-Covered as Fire Quickly Extinguished by Firefighters
Photos by Ryan Blake, Blake Fire ImagesWestport Fire Department, Assistant Chief Philip HessbergerThe Westport Fire Department was dispatched to a commercial automatic fire alarm at 246 Post Road East 6:07 am. Upon arrival, the Shift Commander reported smoke in one of the storefronts and the assignment was upgraded to a structure fire.
First two arriving companies located the fire and stretched a large hand line to quickly extinguish the fire. An extensive search and overhaul of the building found no additional fire and the building was cleared of smoke.
The initial response included 2 engine companies, 1 truck company and the Shift Commander. The final response included 7 engines, 1 truck, 1 rescue, 5 command and safety officers with mutual aid from Wilton, Norwalk, Fairfield, Westport Police Department and Westport EMS.
The Fire Marshal’s Office has ruled the fire to be accidental and no injuries were reported.
The Westport Fire Department would like to remind the public that smoke detectors save lives and property, candles should never be left unattended, and everyone should have an exit plan in the event of an emergency.
Firefighters Responding to Possible Fire at Lansdowne Condo Complex
Westport firefighters were dispatched shortly before 10:00 this morning for a possible fire in a condominium at the Lansdowne gated community. Multiple pieces of fire apparatus have been sent to the scene and could be seen making their way to the Post Road East address. . No information has been released.
Westport High Water Rescue Truck Goes to Work Overnight
Westport’s high water rescue truck was deployed overnight as flash floods quickly overtook several roadways -stranding motorists in its path. Assistance was given to one vehicle that was stuck on Morningside Drive North near Post Road East. Motorists were advised to stay off of the roadways throughout the storm as a Flash Flood Emergency was announced for our region by the National Weather Service’s New York City office - one of only two times one has ever been declared.
Westport Fire Department photo. Deputy Fire Chief Returns Home after Fighting Wildland Fires as 2.7 Million Acres Burn out West
Westport Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick in Billings, Montana. Contributed photoWestport’s Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick returned home on Saturday after a two week deployment to volunteer in fighting the wildland fires burning throughout the West. (click to read full story)
Contributed photo by Michael KronickKronick was hired by the Westport Fire Department in July of 1998, rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief after becoming a Lieutenant in 2009 and Assistant Chief of Training in 2012. Throughout this time with the Westport FD, he’s been deployed intermittently into Western communities to assist in the wildfire operations - with stints in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Quebec.
As a member of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, the 14 day deployments come from a federal interagency agreement between partners like the Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and local and state fire and land agencies.
This year’s tour began on July 28th alongside 19 other firefighters, starting in the community of Ely, Minnesota - a rural mountain town of about 3,000 residents. Kronick was requested to assist the Forest Service in fighting fires in the Superior National Forest, where he described that “drought conditions in the region have created conditions in which there have been frequent lightning strike fires across the forest and the Boundary Water Wilderness.”
He continued to explain “Our crew was [one] of four 20-person-crews there to reinforce local resources. There were 10 fires ranging in size from 2 to 250 acres. Our crew assisted on the Delta Lake Fire, 67 acres, and the Nile Creek Fire, 2.5 acres.”
Weather shifted over the Minnesota region and rainfall naturally began to suppress the fires, allowing personnel to regain control - and giving Kronick a new deployment. He was requested to Billings, Montana to help fight the larger Trout Creek Fire, south of Absarokee, Montana - a wilderness community of about 1,000 residents.
Trout Creek Fires in Montana. Westport Fire Department Contributed PhotoIn Montana, Kronick and his crew joined local volunteer fire departments, ranchers, and State and Federal personnel in fighting the blazes covering thousands of acres, saying “This was rapidly expanding fire threatening homes in pasture land that grew to 8,500 acres.”
The Trout Creek Fire falls in the larger Northwest Rockies Region, a geographical area specified by interagency wildland fire officials. The National Interagency Coordination Center produces daily situation reports for all major wildland fires in the country - Sunday evening’s situation report stated that 714,424 acres are currently burning in that Northwest Rockies region alone, with 304 fire engines, 40 helicopters, and 4,766 people working to stop them.
One of those people was Kronick. “Our crew supported the local fire department protecting homes and establishing control lines in areas that were only accessible by foot” he continued.
On a larger scale, the situation report states that the United States had a total of 2,710,867 acres burning as of 7:30 yesterday morning, with over 25,000 firefighters, volunteers, ranchers, and public sector personnel fighting for their land. The largest fire remains the Dixie Fire in Northern California, which is occupying over a half-million acres, has destroyed 1,123 structures, and has cost $246 million in damages and operations.
The millions of scorched acres across the region have created smoke plumes large enough to carry over the continent, hazing the skies over Westport earlier this month. In a release today welcoming back Deputy Chief Kronick, Westport Fire Chief Rob Yost stated “Since fires are still ongoing across the west, we’ll likely see some type of resurgence throughout the summer. And it’s possible that smoky summers may become the new reality.”
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy describes this year’s particularly complex situation as due to an early start to the fire season for the United States, which makes it difficult to share resources from Canada - who are battling blazes of their own as resources are dwindling.
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick. Contributed photoThe situation became so extreme that a Boeing 747 water tanker was flown in from New South Wales, Australia - and Mexican firefighters have been deployed into Canada to supplement the dwindling resources as a brutally hot, dry summer pushes onwards. “Both countries have developed their wildfire response plans around having access to resources from their neighbor. However, this year has demonstrated the weakness in those plans as both countries are unable to share resources as they fight multiple wildfires within their respective borders.” stated the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
Despite the time away from his family and volatility of the seasons, Kronick has now completed 13 deployments into the West to volunteer with the wildland fire teams - learning more about fire suppression and operations every time. “I have not looked back” he said after his 2017 trip.
Westport Fire Chief welcomed home the Deputy Chief in his statement, saying “ I'm proud to welcome back our Deputy who epitomizes Westport's values of sacrifice and service to others. When communities and states need help, we can support our neighbors in their time of crisis battling dangerous wildfires. The experience and knowledge he gained in working a large-scale incident are invaluable to us."
A video of the firefighting helicopter operating over wildland fires out West while Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick worked on the ground.
Midnight Car Accident Closes Easton Road, Sends One Car into Forest and Police Looking for Driver
The BMW SUV sits alongside Easton Road after it lost control, rolling into the forest. WestportLocal.com photoJust before 12:30 this morning, first responders were dispatched to the area of Easton Road and Brooklawn Drive for the report of the motor vehicle accident with automatic rollover detection - about 500 feet south of Westport Fire Department’s Coleytown House.
A Westport EMS crew was dispatched for the report of a possible injured driver in the midnight car accident. WestportLocal.com photo First responders and neighbors quickly found the vehicle, a BMW SUV, stuck down a steep embankment alongside the Route 136 sidewalk - but could not locate the driver. After a short search in the nearby neighborhood, Westport Police officers were able to locate the driver and have them evaluated by Westport EMS. The driver was not transported by the EMS team, and remained on scene.
Reports from the scene describe the vehicle as possibly travelling north on Easton Road before it lost control - destroying a concrete bridge structure over Silver Brook before the vehicle came to a rest in the nearby forest.
A neighbor described the loud sound piercing the quiet night, causing them to head to the street to see what had happened. No word on what caused the accident has been released.
Firefighters Extinguish Marilane Dumpster Fire
Westport firefighters were dispatched to Marilane at around 8:45 this evening for the reported dumpster fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished the contained flames as nearby neighbors wandered from their homes to investigate the lights and commotion. The trucks cleared from the roadway a short time later.
I-95 Work Zone Accident Sends Multiple Patients to Hospital
Westport Fire Department Photo. A motor vehicle accident with injuries was reported at 2:00 PM this afternoon on I-95 in the southbound lanes, north of exit 16. Arriving first responders found “an accident involving a sedan, a box truck, and a DOT truck” according to the Westport Fire Department’s social media release. Patients were transported to the hospital by Westport EMS and Norwalk Hospital EMS. No information on what caused the accident has been released.
Police, Fire, and EMS Busy after 80 Calls to Service Received Before 6:00 PM Today
Sirens could be heard throughout the community today, starting with a motor vehicle accident on I-95 just after sunrise. Local first responders were kept busy afterwards - straight through sunset with multiple car accidents, medical emergencies, and police matters being called into the Westport emergency communications center, located at Westport Fire Department Headquarters and Westport Police Department Headquarters.
Westport Police responded to 40 calls-to-service.
Westport Fire Department responded to 30 calls-to-service.
Westport Emergency Medical Service responded to 10 calls-to-service.
Early Morning House Fire Displaces Three from Bayberry Lane; Required Wilton, Fairfield Firefighters to Respond
Westport Fire Department Photo
Press Release
The Westport Fire Department Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call shortly after 6:30am this morning by a resident reporting a structure fire. The fire department responded with 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, 1 rescue truck, and 2 shift commanders. First arriving units found a 2 story, 2 family home with fire on the first floor, second floor, and attic. Two attack lines (fire hoses) were stretched and operated to extinguish the fire. Fire companies searched the house for victims and found none as the house had been evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire department.
The residents of the second floor were alerted to the fire by a working carbon monoxide detector and they notified the residents of the first floor to evacuate. No injuries were reported. Three residents have been displaced by the fire.
The fire was investigated by the Westport Fire Marshal’s Office. The Westport Police and EMS responded to assist on scene. The Wilton and Fairfield Fire Departments assisted on scene and with station coverage during the fire.
The Westport Fire Department reminds residents to have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on all floors of their homes.