NORWICH, CT - On Thursday, April 10th at 12:58 AM, the Norwich Fire Department with East Great Plain Ladder 5 and Yantic Engine 33 were dispatched to a house fire at 39 Otis Street. Due to a malfunction with the alerting system, Norwich companies were notified through the backup Everbridge system when a working fire was declared at 1:02 AM, because police reported fire out the windows. Ladder 5 and Battalion 1 arrived at 1:08 AM to find heavy fire out three windows of the second-floor Bravo/Charlie corner with reports of people trapped. 

Ladder 5 and Truck 1 started a primary search of the second-floor while Squad A stretched a hose line. Engine 2 established the water supply while Engine 3 assisted the Squad with advancing their line. Engines 2 and 33 then brought a line up the rear stairs to the second-floor. Engine 2 located a deceased victim in the rear of the second-floor and left them in place. A mayday was declared by command for Ladder 5 when they weren’t answering him on the radio and were unaccounted for. 

Within a minute, two members from Ladder 5 were located, not in distress, and the mayday was cancelled. The crews exited to get new air cylinders. Truck 1 Driver threw ladders with Truck 25 and provided horizontal ventilation.

Engines 3 and 32 then stretched a line to the third-floor while Truck 1 searched. Companies fought fire for about an hour before command withdrew them from the building because the fire took ahold of the void spaces and attic.

Laurel Hill Engine 62 laid in a supply line from McKinley Avenue and fed Truck 1. Ladder 5 and Truck 1 both used their ladder pipes for a while to knock down the large volume of fire and then crews were allowed to reenter for overhaul. The incident escalated to a third-alarm, which brought assistance from Taftville, Yantic, Occum, East Great Plain, Laurel Hill, Mohegan Tribal, New London, Preston, Mashantucket, Willimantic and American Ambulance. Coverage was provided by Bozrah, Poquonnock Bridge and Gales Ferry.

Unfortunately, a mother and daughter perished in this devastating tragedy. The Norwich Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating with assistance from the Connecticut Fire and Explosives Investigate Unit.