Fires displace families in Hartford and Windsor

HARTFORD — Firefighters battled blustery weather Monday evening as they responded to house fires in Hartland and Windsor that took the lives of several pets and displaced residents.

Firefighters rescued three cats from a Monday night fire that destroyed a two-unit home with an attached garage on Valley View Road in Hartford.

One cat was transported to SAVES animal hospital for treatment. Other pets, including a cat and several lizards, are believed to have perished in the fire, Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney said by phone Tuesday.

There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters in the blaze at 398 Valley View Road, according to a Monday night news release from the Hartford Fire Department.

There were seven people in the house at the time of the fire, Cooney said.. All were family members. The Red Cross is providing housing for the occupants.

Firefighters responded to “multiple calls” about a structure fire at about 5 p.m. The fire was upgraded to a third-alarm due to heavy fire conditions and high wind gusts.

Crews initially faced challenges securing a water supply until a water shuttle could be established. A hydrant located adjacent to a small pond on the property malfunctioned. Crews dropped a supply hose directly into the pond and then used water from arriving tankers.

“It was a considerably fast fire,” Cooney said, made more challenging by the wind. It took crews about an hour and a half to extinguish it.

Firefighters from Hanover, Lebanon, Woodstock, Norwich, Hartland, Windsor and Plainfield provided assistance, Cooney said.

The property is owned by Gregory Sieglinger, according to town records. Sieglinger could not be reached for comment.

Town records describe the home as a raised ranch that was built in 1980. The building value is listed as $251,200. There was about 2,600 square feet of living space.

Flames, smoke and the lights of first responders were visible from I-89 just south of the Quechee exit during Monday’s evening commute.

Crews remained on scene overnight and on Tuesday to make sure that it did not rekindle in the blustery conditions.

A cause-and-origin investigation into the fire is underway, Hartford Fire Marshall Tom Peltier said by phone Tuesday. He and his team are reviewing the site and putting up tarps to protect the debris for investigation.

Cooney requested the assistance of the state arson investigative team to determine the cause of the fire, although it has not as yet been deemed suspicious, he said.

“It’s a team effort and we like to use their professional assistance,” Cooney said of the state team. “They see more events than we do.”

As they were driving south after assisting with the Hartford fire, Windsor Fire Department crews received a call at about 8:30 p.m. to respond to a structure fire at a private residence in downtown Windsor.

There were initial reports of a person trapped in the house at 15 Main St., near the Price Chopper supermarket, Windsor Fire Chief Kevin McAllister said by phone Tuesday afternoon.

“Luckily, they were able to self-extricate,” he said.

There were no injuries to the people living in the house and at least two dogs and one cat escaped the house uninjured, and are with the family.

“Unfortunately, a cat perished,” McAllister said.

The fire started in the kitchen and firefighters contained the blaze to one room, but the house suffered smoke damage and was not immediately habitable, McAllister said. The family received assistance from the Red Cross and was able to stay with friends, he added.

“We had a very aggressive knock-down,” McAllister said, adding that it took about half an hour to extinguish the fire.

Windsor was assisted by crews from Ascutney, West Windsor, Hartland and Cornish, McAllister said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, he said.

Though the wind and dropping temperatures were challenging, McAllister said, his crews had access to a municipal fire hydrant about 100 feet from the house.

“We had a fixed water supply, which is a luxury we don’t always have,” he said.

The house belongs to Carlton and Carolyn Malikowski, according to town records. They could not be reached for comment.

In addition to the Monday evening fires, there have been several other house fires in the Upper Valley recently, including non-fatal fires in Lebanon and Windsor last week.

“Definitely in the winter months, there are more fires. Any time homes are ramping up use of heating appliances, wood stoves, pellet stoves and electrical appliances,” Cooney said, “the risk increases.”

Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603-727-3208.