ELLINGTON — The Ellington Fire Department and State Police are investigating after 5 cars became engulfed in flames early Sunday morning, damaging a nearby house.
The Ellington Fire Department arrived on scene around 2:45 a.m. to find 3 cars on fire. It took crews around 30 minutes to extinguish the flames. A nearby house at 12 Westview Terrace sustained minor damage from the heat of the flames. All 6 occupants of the house left the house safely, and there were no injuries.
Officials are also looking at car break-ins that occurred in the prior few weeks to see if it may be related to the fire, but as of now there is no connection.
The State Fire Marshal’s office, Troop C Major Crime Squad detectives, and Connecticut State Police K9 unites are on the scene.
Investigators are still working to determine the root cause, but are treating the incident as arson. It is unknown how many cars were initially on fire. State Police say it’s not uncommon for one vehicle to be set on fire and the flames set other vehicles on fire or cause damage.
Lisa Whiteway, a neighbor, awoke to the sound of two explosions, thinking it was initially transformers blowing.
She went down the street and saw a fire. “Flames everywhere,” she said, “I was really scared, I was afraid of their house going up.”
John Chiarenca considered the incident alarming due to the quiet nature of the street. “I hope they get to the bottom of it. I hope they figure out what happened here, what the cause was and why,” he said, “I feel comfortable knowing they (police) are saying we’re in good shape at this point.”
