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New Haven condo fire started in malfunctioning chimney

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Fire Department said a three-alarm fire that broke out in a 120-unit condo complex in New Haven on Monday afternoon started in t...

NEW HAVEN -- The New Haven Fire Department said a three-alarm fire that broke out in a 120-unit condo complex in New Haven on Monday afternoon started in the fireplace of one of the units.

New Haven Chief John Alston said the fire got “out of the box”, spread through the back of the fireplace and started a fire in the condo above. The fire then spread inside the roof of the complex, located at 99 Harbor Close, at around 1:30 p.m. and was brought under control at around 6 p.m., though firefighters stayed on scene to put out hot spots for about 12 hours.

The fire was extremely stubborn and took nearly 12 hours to put out, with winds coming off the nearby water adding to the difficulty. There were no sprinklers in the condo buildings, but they weren't required to be installed when they were built.

Another reason the fire took so long to put out is because the water pressure was poor. Rick Fontana, New Haven the emergency services director, said this typically happens when a structure is located at the end of a street.

Two people were injured -- a firefighter and a resident. The firefighter's injuries were not life-threatening and the resident suffered smoke inhalation.

The department is treating the fire as an accident.

Tenants are having a community meeting Wednesday at 5 p.m. to discuss what’s next. In all, 13 units were gutted due to smoke damage, leaving 21 people displaced, 20 adults and a child. They are being assisted by the American Red Cross and many of the residents are being housed at the Courtyard by Marriott on Whalley Avenue in New Haven. All of the people who were displaced had renters insurance and the owners of the condo units were also insured.

Architects and engineers have been at the condo complex Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss demolition. They need to isolate existing water, gas and electric lines from the section to be demolished before they begin tearing things down. Demolition is scheduled for 10 a.m on Friday.

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