A fire tore through a condominium complex in Shelton overnight, gutting a row of units and leaving the top of the building destroyed. The blaze broke out after 10:30 Wednesday night at Fox Run in the Aspetuck Village complex, and by morning the scale of the damage was plain, with a charred roofline and the wreckage of families' homes exposed to the street.
Shelton Fire Chief Fran Jones said three units were affected by the fire. The heaviest damage was to units 211 and 210, where two families lived, while a third unit, 209, was home to one person living alone. Together, the strip of connected homes bore the brunt of a fire that pushed through the building before crews could bring it under control.
Despite the destruction, the outcome could have been far worse. The fire was isolated, and everyone made it out, with no injuries reported among the residents. Neighbors expressed relief that the people inside escaped, even as they took in the sight of a building that had been left uninhabitable by the flames.
The cause of the fire has not been officially determined. Neighbors said they believe tiki torches on the back deck of one of the units may have sparked the blaze, but that account has not been confirmed by the fire marshal. Officials say the cause remains under investigation as they work to establish exactly what happened at the complex.
For those who live at Fox Run, the fire was not the first the complex has seen. Neighbors said it was the third fire at the complex in the last five years, a troubling pattern for a community now confronting yet another destructive blaze and the upheaval it has brought to several households at once.
By Thursday morning, the flames had been put out, though firefighters were still monitoring hot spots at the scene. The walls of the condos remained charred and several windows had been blown out, and one assessment held that the structure would be a complete tear-down, taken down to the foundation and rebuilt. The displaced residents have been relocated with family.
The fire marshal has been on the ground at the scene, and the utility United Illuminating has also responded as part of the effort. As the investigation continues, the residents who lost their homes are left to begin picking up the pieces after a night that reduced part of the complex to a charred shell.