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'MAYDAY': Firefighters Forced Out Of Burning Southington House Before Beating Back Flames 'MAYDAY': Firefighters Forced Out Of Burning Southington House Before Beating Back Flames
'Mayday': Firefighters Forced Out Of Burning Southington House Before Beating Back Flames It was a harrowing moment for Connecticut firefighters when an early morning fire sent them scrambling to escape a burning home when conditions took a turn for the worse while they were inside, authorities said.  Firefighters were called to a house fire around 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26 at 25 Howard Ave. in Southington. A light fixture in the basement had sparked and sent flames creeping through the home. Luckily, everyone inside escaped thanks to two teen girls who smelled smoke and alerted their grandmother.  Fire crews moved quickly to put out the flames, but shortly after…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Freezing Worker Trapped In Trench Collapse Rescued By CT Firefighters Freezing Worker Trapped In Trench Collapse Rescued By CT Firefighters
Freezing Worker Trapped In Trench Collapse Rescued By CT Firefighters Connecticut firefighters rescued a man who was trapped after a trench he was working in collapsed, burying him in dirt up to his thighs, authorities said. Stamford firefighters were called to Hampton Lane just before 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, where they found the man trapped. He was alert and conscious when they arrived.  Rescue crews reinforced the trench walls with panels to stabilize them before they began to dig him out, Stamford authorities said. More than 20 rescuers worked quickly, digging in the dirt with their hands to pull the freezing man to safety. Firefighters and re…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard 1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard
1 Dead In Fire At CT Family-Owned Apple Orchard Firefighters found a man dead inside a Connecticut home on Friday morning, Dec. 20, following an early morning fire at a New London County family-owned orchard, authorities said.  The fire was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. at 20 Kitemaug Road in Montville, and multiple other agencies were soon called to assist in battling the blaze, the Norwich Fire Department reported. Crews reported a partial collapse about 20 minutes later, forcing firefighters to withdraw.  Once firefighters were able to get inside they found the man — who was in his 80s— dead inside,  Authorities did…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT
Brush Fire Spreads To Home; Red Flag Warning Issued For All CT A small brush fire in Connecticut spread to a home in New London County in the very early morning of Saturday, Nov. 9, authorities said. The blaze comes as firefighters across the state have warned residents about dry conditions turning the landscape into a tinderbox.  Firefighters were called to a home at 90 North St. in Norwich just after 1 a.m. when a brush fire leaped onto the house, authorities said.  Related: Brush Fire Burns Through Multi-Family Home, Nearby Deck Smoke filled the home and flames damaged the outside of the house, but Norwich firefighters were able to get th…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Asst. Fire Chief Killed Crossing Street; 2nd Firefighter's Death In 7 Days Asst. Fire Chief Killed Crossing Street; 2nd Firefighter's Death In 7 Days
Asst. Fire Chief Killed Crossing Street; 2nd Firefighter's Death In 7 Days Fewer than eight hours after the Connecticut firefighting community buried Robert Sharkevich Sr., another senior firefighter was killed in Fairfield County, officials said.  Peter Blomberg, age 72, was crossing Route 6 near Dayton Street in Newtown when a truck crashed into him around 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, authorities said.  Blomberg served as the assistant fire chief of the Botsford Fire Department and was walking to a fire commission meeting In Newtown when he was hit, police said. Paramedics rushed him to Danbury Hospital, but doctors could not save Blomberg's life.&nbs…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Hundreds Take Part In Funeral For Wethersfield Firefighter Killed Battling Blaze Hundreds Take Part In Funeral For Wethersfield Firefighter Killed Battling Blaze
Hundreds Take Part In Funeral For Wethersfield Firefighter Killed Battling Blaze Mourners lined the roads leading to the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford on Monday, Oct. 28, to pay their respects to Robert "Sharkey" Sharkevich Sr. His casket was carried by a fire engine that was preceded by a cadre of police vehicles. His casket, draped in an American flag, was carried to its final resting place by his family and the firefighters who served alongside him.  Sharkevich Sr., age 66, was a lifelong firefighter. He served with the Hartford Fire Department for 25 years and the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years.  Related Re…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Wethersfield Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Can't Express Magnitude Of This Loss' Wethersfield Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Can't Express Magnitude Of This Loss'
Wethersfield Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Can't Express Magnitude Of This Loss' A Connecticut firefighter who was killed when the ATV he was on rolled over while battling a blaze has been identified as a grandfather and former member of the Hartford Fire Department.  Robert "Sharky" Sharkevich Sr., age 66, was working as a member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday, Oct. 22, fighting a brush fire that had spread to more than 90 acres on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Meriden Police said.  Sharkevich and three other firefighters were in Meriden on the southern edge of the blaze, riding a firefighting ATV that flipped around 5:30 p.m.…

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
'Heart Full Of Kindness': State Police Chaplain Killed In Crash Remembered For His Compassion 'Heart Full Of Kindness': State Police Chaplain Killed In Crash Remembered For His Compassion
'Heart Full Of Kindness': State Police Chaplain Killed In Crash Remembered For His Compassion Dr. Rev. Paul Krampitz didn't look like a preacher, but his friends and colleagues said he was built for it.   Middlesex County resident Paul Krampitz, age 65, of Cromwell, was killed Thursday, Sept. 18, when a car crashed into his Harley Davidson motorcycle around 4:15 p.m. near Exit 33 on Route 9 in Berlin, Connecticut State Police said. Paramedics rushed him to New Britain Hospital, where he died of his injuries.  The crash is under investigation.  Krampitz, who went by the nickname Styx, was the Connecticut State Police chaplain, a preacher at Be…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Man Accused Of Setting His Home On Fire CT Man Accused Of Setting His Home On Fire
CT Man Accused Of Setting His Home On Fire A 27-year-old Connecticut man is facing arson charges after police say he started a fire at his home earlier this year, causing a massive police and firefighter response, authorities said.  Former Middlesex County resident James Jones, 27, of East Hampton, was arrested last month after investigators linked him to a house fire on March 19, East Hampton Police said.  Police, paramedics, and firefighters were called to a two-alarm fire at 46 School House Lane on Tuesday, March 19.  After an investigation, police believe that the fire was intentionally set.  Jones was unde…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Person Found Dead After House Fire Breaks Out In Quiet CT Neighborhood Person Found Dead After House Fire Breaks Out In Quiet CT Neighborhood
Person Found Dead After House Fire Breaks Out In Quiet CT Neighborhood One person was killed, and another escaped, along with a dog, during a fire at a single-family home in a quiet Connecticut neighborhood. New Update - Fatal Middlefield House Fire: Elementary School Student ID'd As Victim The incident occurred in Middlesex County around 1 a.m., Friday, Sept. 6, on Dwight Drive in Middlefield. According to Middlefield Fire Chief Peter Tyc, the first arriving crews encountered heavy fire. The entire front of the home was engulfed in flames, and one person was reported inside the house. Firefighters initiated an aggressive fire attack and search for th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Firefighter Hurt, Family Left Homeless After CT Blaze Firefighter Hurt, Family Left Homeless After CT Blaze
Firefighter Hurt, Family Left Homeless After CT Blaze Connecticut fire investigators are looking into what sparked a house fire that left a family of five homeless and a firefighter injured.  The blaze began in Fairfield County around 8:20 p.m. at a house in the 40 block of Alpine Street in Bridgeport, authorities said.  Firefighters battled the flames for hours before they got it under control. Though it wasn't before the fire had gutted the home, authorities said. Luckily, the family escaped before they were hurt.  A firefighter was not as lucky. They were injured while working at the home. Authorities did not release the inj…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Driver Jumps Out Of Passing Car To Help Resident Who Escaped From CT House Fire Driver Jumps Out Of Passing Car To Help Resident Who Escaped From CT House Fire
Driver Jumps Out Of Passing Car To Help Resident Who Escaped From CT House Fire A Connecticut resident received heavy burns to his head and face while escaping from his burning home. The incident occurred in New Haven County on Lynn Terrace around 6 p.m., Thursday, in Seymour. According to Seymour Fire Marshal Timothy Willis, when firefighters arrived, they found the home fully engulfed in flames and an injured resident who had "self-evacuated." Willis said a Good Samaritan had jumped out of a passing car to help neighbors get the man in his 60s to the ambulance. The unidentified man was transported to the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Unit. His condition was not known on…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Multiple Vehicles Burst Into Flames At Stamford Parking Lot Multiple Vehicles Burst Into Flames At Stamford Parking Lot
Multiple Vehicles Burst Into Flames At Stamford Parking Lot Fire officials are investigating after several vehicles were found on fire at a parking lot and storage area for a local towing company in Fairfield County. The incident occurred in Stamford around 10:25 a.m., Saturday, June 22, in the area of 400 Fairfield Ave. According to Capt. Philip Hayes of the Stamford Fire Department, the West Side Fire Station, arrived at the scene and found a fire involving several vehicles inside the parking lot and storage area. Due to the size and location of the parking lot, there was no threat to the adjacent buildings. Firefighters immediately went to work …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
1 Teen Killed, 4 Seriously Injured In Fiery Overnight CT Crash 1 Teen Killed, 4 Seriously Injured In Fiery Overnight CT Crash
1 Teen Killed, 4 Seriously Injured In Fiery Overnight CT Crash One teenager was killed, another was airlifted to the hospital with critical injuries, and three others were seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash in Connecticut. Click here for a new, updated story: IDs Released By Family In Fatal Wolcott Crash That Killed 1 Teen, Injured 3 Others It happened in New Haven County, in the town of Wolcott, around 10 p.m. Saturday, June 1. The Wolcott Police Department said it received a report that a vehicle had gone off the road and struck a tree in the area of 734 Spindle Hill Rd.  While en route to the scene, dispatch notified respondin…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
CT Firefighter/EMT Dies After Working 38-Hour Shift CT Firefighter/EMT Dies After Working 38-Hour Shift
CT Firefighter/EMT Dies After Working 38-Hour Shift A Connecticut firefighter/EMT collapsed and died after working a 38-hour continuous shift, officials said. The North Haven Fire Department made the announcement on Friday, Aug. 25, that Firefighter EMT Anthony Desimone, age 50, had just completed the shift around 6 p.m. when he suffered a medical emergency as he arrived home. The 23-year department veteran died shortly after at Yale New Haven Hospital despite life-saving efforts by units from North Haven fire and police and Nelson Ambulance, the department said. Desimone, who started his career as a volunteer with the North East Volunteer …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Off-Duty Firefighter From Fairfield County Helps Rescue Family From Apartment Fire Off-Duty Firefighter From Fairfield County Helps Rescue Family From Apartment Fire
Off-Duty Firefighter From Fairfield County Helps Rescue Family From Apartment Fire A firefighter from Fairfield County is being praised for his heroic actions after he helped rescue residents from a burning apartment while off-duty. Greenwich firefighter Doug Howley saw a fire in a New Haven County apartment complex on Meriden Road in Waterbury while he was driving to a birthday party on Saturday, March 26, Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary said. He rushed to assist with the evacuation and saw a father and daughter trying to escape the second-floor apartment where the fire broke out. The father lowered his daughter into Howley's arms shortly before Waterbury firefighters arri…

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by Nicole Valinote