WALLINGFORD, Conn. — Three people are dead after a fire ripped through a Wallingford home Wednesday. Officials said the fire was suspicious.
According to the deputy chief, Wallingford firefighters received a call from a person reporting a house fire on Geneva Ave. Wednesday evening, and they heard screaming.
The town's fire department responded alongside the Connecticut State Police, Red Cross, and crews from Meriden, North Haven, and Hamden.
One person was taken from the scene by Life Star, and another was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, the deputy chief said. Officials confirmed Thursday morning that both people had died from their injuries. A third person died from injuries, officials said Friday.
The three victims have been identified as 24-year-old Justin Varnado, 19-year-old Karizmah Johnson, and a nine-month-old baby.
William Valleau lives across the street from where the fire happened.
“It's really tragic,” he said. “I walked outside and saw the fire engines and it was just like, 'Whoa, what happened here?'”
He did not know the people who died well but said they were pleasant neighbors.
“They seemed very nice, you know, kind of kept to themselves, but from as far as I could tell, they were pretty nice,” Valleau said.
Emilia Chrzanowski knows the home well. It’s where she grew up.
“This is where I was for most of my life,” she said. “There were a lot of wonderful memories that were made here as young people.”
She drove back to Wallingford to see with her own eyes what had happened and shared this hope for healing.
“Hopefully the families will be okay,” Chrzanowski said. “It’s sad to see, you know, something like this happened in a beautiful home.”
According to the deputy chief, the Red Cross has relocated individuals who were displaced by the fire into hotels.
Fire officials are investigating what sparked the fire. An investigation conducted by the Wallingford Fire Marshal’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office with the assistance of the Wallingford Police Department’s Investigative Services Division, Central District Major Crime, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office indicates that the incident is criminal in nature.
This is a developing story. Check back to this page for updates.
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