Connecticut Post Online (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — More than 30 people were left homeless and a firefighter rescued Saturday from an intense fire that destroyed a multi-family apartment building on Stillman Street.
About 50 firefighters worked for several hours to extinguish the blaze at the six-room apartment building at 563 Stillman St. The fire was reported just at 4:47 p.m. Saturday. Ismael Pomales, a battalion chief of the Bridgeport Fire Department, said firefighters had to leave the building early because of the heavy smoke and intense flames. A portion of the roof on the left side of the building fell shortly after firefighters exited the building. Pomales said the fire appears to have started on the second floor. No cause has been determined as of Saturday evening.
Pomales said one firefighter, Zachary Hermann, had to be rescued from the roof after being trapped by flames. Firefighters moved a bucket on a ladder near live electrical wires to the front of the building, allowing Hermann to jump to safety. Hermann escaped without injury, Pomales said.
“That had me really worried,” he said.
All of the occupants of the building escaped and no one was injured. Officials from the American Red Cross said they were assisting more than 30 people affected by the fire.
Barbara Harden, who lived in a third-floor apartment for more than two years, said she was hanging laundry when neighbors in a nearby house alerted her. Harden lived in the building with her daughter, a friend and her two grandchildren. “I hear a lady over there and they said we have a fire and we’d better get out and I did.” Harden said. “I wasn’t sure what was going on. I didn’t find out until I got on to the ground.”
Harden’s neighbor, Diane, who did not give her last name, said she was watching television when she heard noises and heard from her niece’s boyfriend that they had to leave the building fast.
“I was watching TV and my niece’s boyfriend was knocking,” Diane said. “Some people said it’s a fire on the first floor.”
Rosa Cifredo could only stare sadly at the burning structure, where her cousin, Elizabeth Pagan, lived there along with her three children. Pagan, who was pregnant with her fourth child, was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment after suffering an anxiety attack, Cifredo said. “I feel like [crap],” Cifredo said. “They lost everything.”
Travis Martin, who lives on the second floor, was asleep when the fire started . “I was woke up by a man in a red shirt,” Martin, 25, said while wearing a T-shirt over his nose and mouth to protect himself from the smoke.
“He touched my hand and helped me out the door,” he said.
The man in the red shirt was later identified as Angel DePara, a Bridgeport City Councilman, 136th District. DePara said he was driving by the house and saw smoke and flames. He parked his car, left the engine running, and ran into the burning house. “I knocked on all the doors and told people to get out,” DePara said.
He said he alerted people throughout the house.