Two adults, two toddlers safely evacuate burning house in Montville
Montville — Four occupants of a multifamily dwelling at 24 Cove Road escaped injury early Sunday morning when a fire believed to have originated near a first-floor kitchen consumed the two-story structure, according to the town’s fire marshal.
A single mother, her adult son and two toddlers evacuated before firefighters arrived, Fire Marshal Raymond Occhialini said. Another adult and a third child who lived at the address were elsewhere at the time of the fire, he said.
The American Red Cross assisted the six people displaced by the fire, all of whom are staying with family and friends in the area, according to Occhialini.
Investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal determined that the fire started in the vicinity of the kitchen between the first and second floors but were unable to determine how the fire started, Occhialini said.
"Most likely, we'll never know," he added, terming the cause "accidental."
Occhialini said that what little of the structure remained standing would likely be knocked down.
“It was totally destroyed,” he said.
Occhialini said the son living at the address told firefighters that the occupants were on the second floor when a smoke detector on the first floor alerted them. The son went downstairs and found the kitchen on fire, Occhialini said.
The single mother, Mary MacCracken, is the owner of the building, according to the fire marshal. One of the toddlers, about 22 months old, is her daughter, Occhialini said, while the other toddler, a girl of about the same age, belongs to MacCracken’s son.
Dispatchers received the call at 12:46 a.m.
Firefighters responded from the Montville, Mohegan, Oakdale, Quaker Hill, East Great Plain, Bozrah, Salem, Gardner Lake, Poquetanuck, Gales Ferry, Franklin and Mohegan tribal fire companies.
b.hallenbeck@theday.com
Twitter: @bjhallenbeck
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.