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Firefighters quickly contained an electrical fire at 185 Elm St. on Wednesday night preventing it from spreading throughout the house. There was still $40,000 to $50,000 in damage done to the home owned by Frank and Carol Mercurio, according to Asst. Chief Chris Tracy, a fire department spokesman. There were no injuries and the homeowners are currently staying with residents because smoke and heat damage left the residence temporarily unlivable.
The Mercurio family owned Mercurio's Grocery Store, a former Post Road landmark that was closed in 2005 after over 100 years in the town's center.
The fire department received the call at 9:41 and responded in full force, arriving on the scene to find smoke billowing from the second floor of the two story single family home. The firefighters, commanded by Asst. Chief William Kessler, stretched a hose into the second floor while other units searched the home and ventilated it to remove smoke. The fire was quickly extinguished and damage was contained to the bedroom where the fire began.
The cause of the fire has not officially been determined, but Tracy said that the "power throughout the house failed," earlier in the day, causing the homeowner to call an electrician. While troubleshooting the power loss, they noticed a burning smell and soon saw flames from the second floor window. Power was disconnected from the house. Kessler said the "neutral conductor appeared to have parted." This could have allowed higher than normal voltage in the home's wiring, causing overheating of electrical equipment and the subsequent fire.
According to Kessler four engine companies, a ladder company, a rescue company and a shift commander's car responded to the scene, along with an ambulance and several police cars. Elm Street was closed to traffic between Round Hill Road and North Benson Road.The Fairfield Fire Department left the scene at 11:24 p.m.
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