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32 People Displaced In Five-Alarm Fire In Stamford; 3 Admitted To Hospital

STAMFORD, Conn. — A total of 32 people were displaced after a huge fire heavily damaged two multi-family houses near Stamford Hospital on Monday evening, according to the Stamford fire officials. 

One home on Alden Street in Stamford is completely consumed by flames on Monday afternoon. The fire broke out a block from Stamford Hospital.

One home on Alden Street in Stamford is completely consumed by flames on Monday afternoon. The fire broke out a block from Stamford Hospital.

Photo Credit: Stamford Fire‏ Department via Twitter @SFDPIO

Of the 32 residents displaced, 28 were relocated by the Red Cross, said a press release from Lt. Colin Burns. The two houses contained a total of eight separate units.

During the fire, three civilians and four firefighters were transported to the nearby Stamford Hospital Emergency Department for evaluation, Burns said. As of Tuesday morning, one civilian and two firefighters had been admitted to the hospital for further observation, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the City of Stamford's Office of the Fire Marshal. 

Related Story: Two Houses Damaged In Huge 5-Alarm Fire Near Stamford Hospital

The fire on the city's West Side was first reported by a 911 caller at 5:12 p.m. Monday, Burns said.

Upon arrival, fire units encountered heavy fire coming from the rear of the house at 50 Alden St. and spreading to the adjacent house at 46 Alden St., he said. All of the occupants of the dwellings were accounted for as it grew into a five-alarm fire.

Firefighters said the neighborhood where the huge blaze broke out is very densely populated, with houses close together. It presented "significant challenges for firefighters," the department said via Twitter.

Flames were shooting from the roofs of both houses and smoke engulfed the neighborhood, including in the area around Stamford Hospital.

Both structures at 50 Alden St. and 46 Alden St. were deemed uninhabitable, Burns said. An adjoining property at 46 Wright St. also was damaged, but the residents were not displaced.

A total of 59 firefighters joined the battled to extinguish this fire, using eight city fire engines, one Belltown fire engine, three ladder trucks and one heavy rescue under the direction of an incident commander.

Fire department units remained on the scene for several hours with the last suppression unit clearing the scene at 1:16 a.m.

"Our thoughts are with all who were impacted by last night’s fire on Wright Street, the road that runs along the east side of Stamford Hospital," Stamford Health, which operates the hospital, said in a Facebook post. "Thank you to everyone for acting swiftly during this emergency to assure the safety of our environment and community. We’re especially grateful for the expertise of the Stamford Fire Department, Stamford Police Association and the Stamford EMS Academy."

Stamford Emergency Medical Services provided medical treatment for civilians and firefighters.

During the incident, fire protection for the city was fully covered by Stamford career and volunteer units.

This fire reinforces this year’s National Fire Prevention Week theme of “Every Second Counts, Know Two Ways Out.” 

The rear exit of one home was blocked by rapidly expanding heavy fire, forcing the residents to flee from the front of the home, Burns said. 

With the conditions encountered at this fire and the upcoming fire prevention week, residents are asked to check their smoke detectors and plan two ways out of their house. If any resident of Stamford needs a smoke detector, the fire department will install on for free. Residents are encouraged to call 203-977-5555 to request a smoke detector installation.

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