Fire at New London home displaces 8 people
New London — A fire that started in the second floor of a Summer Street home displaced eight members of a family Friday evening.
The blaze was reported about 8:30 p.m. No one was injured.
Mariana Soto, who lived at the 47 Summer St. address with her extended family, said she received a call that there was a fire upstairs and that her two children had to get out.
Her brother tried to put out the fire but couldn't manage and had to run next door to the neighbor's house, as well.
"We were just out buying furniture," she said as she watched smoke continue to vent out of her children's bedroom window. "I guess we'll have to buy all new furniture."
In total, there were five adults and three children living in the home. The Red Cross was assisting the in finding accommodations for the night.
New London Fire Chief Henry Kydd said that the department arrived quickly on the scene and began to attack the fire from downstairs as a ladder crew vented the roof.
As of 9:30 p.m. the fire was knocked down but not out, and firefighters had begun to salvage and overhaul the fire to preserve as much of the building as possible. The structure should be salvageable, Kydd said.
New London Battalion Chief Thomas Curcio said later Friday night that firefighters stayed on scene until about 10:15 p.m. after having to open up walls to get at hot spots. He said all of New London's fire companies, Groton Ambulance and the Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST) from the Naval Submarine Base Fire Department all responded.
The building's owners are listed as Leonardo Marrero Ulises and Porfirio Ramos of Waterford.
The fire marshal's office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire.
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