The call came in from a neighbor to firefighters at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday. Turn of River Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Matthew Maounis said there was a massive response from firefighters with Turn of River, Long Ridge and Belltown volunteer firefighters responding along with Stamford Fire Department firefighters and water tankers from the neighboring communities of New Canaan, Darien, Vista, N.Y., and Pound Ridge, N.Y.
The fire at 25 Bittersweet Lane is believed to have begun in the back of the house, he said. When firefighters arrived, the blaze was raging there.
"The fire marshal is investigating now, but we think the fire started in the back," he said. He deferred all questions about the possible cause of the fire to Fire Marshal Charles Spaulding, who was unavailable for comment.
Most of the fire was doused by about 4 a.m., Maounis said. But there were still occasional hot spots in the home that firefighters dealt with after that.
At one point, the roof collapsed but no firefighters were injured, he said.
A massive amount of water was used to extinguish the fire, Maounis said. Firefighters used so much water from a large multi-acre pond behind the house that its water line was lowered at least a foot, he said.
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