A fire on Island Street in Wilton on Tuesday caused significant damage to a two-family residence, including the loss of a family pet.
According to a press release issued by Fire Chief Don Nourse on Wednesday morning, at about 10:02 p.m. on Tuesday, the fire department responded to Island Street for a report of a building fire. Crews arrived within three minutes, and found heavy fire throughout the first floor of one side of the two-family home.
The occupants of both units of the building were home at the time of the fire, but were alerted by smoke detectors and were able to safely evacuate before the fire department arrived. One pet, a cat, died due to the extreme fire and smoke conditions.
“The thing that made the huge difference between an unfortunate incident and a tragic one was working smoke detectors,” Nourse said Wednesday. “It could have been a much different outcome if they didn’t have those working smoke detectors.”
The fire caused significant damage to one unit and smoke damage to the the other unit. Both are currently uninhabitable, Nourse said. The fire was under control at about 10:47 p.m., and crews were able to leave the scene at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
The fire was initially reported as a dryer fire that had extended into the wall. According to the press release, the cause of the fire appeared to be accidental, and Nourse confirmed it appeared to have started in the bathroom, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Island Street was closed with the assistance of the Wilton Department of Public Works until the scene was cleared.
Wilton Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Wilton Police Department, Wilton Ambulance and the Milford, Lyndeborough, Greenville and Mont Vernon fire departments. Amherst and Brookline fire departments provided station coverage for the duration of the incident.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.