Updated: 01/13/2009 06:46:46 AM EST
RIDGEFIELD -- All that stood of the 6,700-square-foot home of John and Lorraine Brice at 3 Turtle Ridge Court on Monday afternoon were two brick chimneys. "I don't know what happened," he said, choking back tears.
Ridgefield Fire Department received a 911 call from a neighbor of the Brices at 10:46 a.m. Monday, on the heels of an automatic fire alarm call.
The Brices and their three teenage children were at work or school when the blaze broke out. It is assumed the family's two pet dogs died in the fire.
Ridgefield fire personnel and volunteer firefighters responded, assisted by the Georgetown fire department and Mill Plain and Miry Brook in Danbury, as well as the New York towns of Brewster, Croton Falls, South Salem and Goldens Bridge. In all 55 firefighters responded, and it took about 90 minutes to knock the fire down.
On arriving, Chief tim Pambianchi found three-fourths of the house engulfed in flames. Attempts were made to do a quick preliminary check for people in the structure, but there was too much fire and it proved impossible.
With no fire hydrants in the development, which is off of Canterbury Road, nine tankers were called in, and 8,000 feet of fire hose was laid down the 1.4 miles from the intersection of Canterbury and Ridgebury roads to Turtle Ridge Court.
At 1 p.m., the state fire marshal and the Ridgefield fire marshal were on the scene. They were about to begin their investigation while firefighters atop an aerial-truck ladder sprayed water onto the smoldering remains of the house. Smoke billowed in high, dark, thick plumes raised by the wind.
The home, built in 1998, was equipped with working smoke detectors and a monitored fire alarm system.
Links to Photos:
http://newstimescommunity.com/soundslides/0112ridgefieldfire/
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=770
Story courtesy of the Danbury News-Times
