A fire on Mothers Day afternoon, about 2 1/2 hours after closing time, caused $15,000 damage to Billys Bakery at 1883 Black Rock Turnpike. The blaze was discovered in a baking rack that was being used to dry towels.
According to firefighters, the sprinkler system confined the damage to the single baking rack, and fire personnel deployed a pressurized extinguisher to put out the fire, after which the sprinkler system was shut down.Assistant Chief Stephen Curry said a bagel boiling vat was apparently left with its gas heating system on. The vat radiated heat to the towels in the rack and ignited them, he said.
Fairfield Fire Department Car 3, Engines 2 and 3, Ladder 2 and Rescue 1 responded, with the first units arriving on the scene just two minutes after the initial report at 4:30 p.m. The Fairfield Health Department was also notified and responded, as were the business owner, Billy Hollis, and building owner, Turnpike Properties. Fairfield County Sprinklers was contacted to restore the sprinkler system.
"They (the fire department) did a tremendous job with what potentially could have been a big thing," said Hollis, who said the bakery will reopen Wednesday morning following two days of cleanup.
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