Rain gutter fire quickly extinguished

New London – Firefighters quickly knocked down a small fire that began in the second-floor rain gutter of an Ocean Avenue home.

Battalion Chief Marc Melanson said firefighters were on scene at 508 Ocean Ave. and extinguished the fire before it could spread on a windy afternoon.

Fire Marshal Calvin Darrow was on scene interviewing two residents after the 2:30 p.m. incident and was examining the fire origin. A cause has yet to be determined.

Christopher Atwood, who lives on the second floor of the three- story, three-family home, said he thought someone had thrown a cigarette in the gutter. He said the fire could have been smoldering for “hours” but that he didn’t smell smoke or see flames.

“I was on the phone and my neighbor across the street came over and said, ‘your house is on fire!’” Atwood said.

He and neighbor Michele Strother evacuated, Atwood said, and called the fire department.

Damage was contained to a small section of the second floor rain gutter.