As the huge fire burned, Bridgeport firefighters were forced to set up in a defensive position to keep the inferno from spreading any farther, fire officials said.
The word from the Bridgeport Fire Department is that construction workers inside one of the homes had trouble with a heater, which may have sparked the fire Friday. It was reported at about 12:45 p.m. Friday.
No injuries have been reported.
At about 3 p.m., after the fire was put out, the residents evacuated from one of the abutting homes that sustained fire damage were cleared to go back in.
The Connecticut Post reported that two police officers helped people get out of the burning homes and that one resident escaped with a pet dog. Officer Michael Bouchard was first on the scene for the Bridgeport Police Department.
The fire department expected to be on scene for a long time on Friday afternoon. They were set up in a vacant lot on State Street and Hanover Street.
The Red Cross is on the scene to help residents who were left homeless from the blaze.
Only the chimney remains of the house that collapsed in the blaze. Another is a charred shell.
Firefighters expected there will be "void" spaces that will be difficult to reach because of structure collapse and planned to continue fighting "hot spots" and monitoring the area, officials said.
The fire was causing heavy traffic delay on State Street between Bedford and Steely. Norman Street has been blocked off to traffic as well.
Many people were pulling over to take pictures as the smoky fire with large flames becomes a spectator event.
Smoke could be seen and smelled throughout the neighborhood.
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