Sundays rep-am

CANAAN

Passer-by, Good Samaritan save burning house, rescue pet

An alert passer-by, a Good Samaritan and quick work by the Canaan Fire Company saved a house at 367 Norfolk Road, Route 44, in East Canaan from major damage Saturday.

Deputy Fire Marshal Michael Fitting said a woman who had just made a purchase at Olde Farms Furniture, two doors down from the house owned by Nathaniel Cecchinato, saw flames and rushed back to the store to raise the alarm.

A man, who was not identified, called 911 and then ran to the scene. Seeing a dog inside the house, he tried to open the door, and when he couldn’t he went to the basement hatchway and was able to enter and remove the animal. He then found jugs filled with water and climbed a ladder to throw water on the flames.

Canaan Fire Company Chief Lee Baldwin said firefighters arrived to see exterior flames. “They did a fantastic aggressive stop and salvage over­haul,” he said. “There was great teamwork shown today.”

Fitting said the cause was a void in a wood stove chimney. Baldwin said there was a fair amount of damage to the outside of the house but not much on the inside. Some of the outside need­ed boarding up, and there was minor interior water damage, but the occupants were able to remain in the home.

Baldwin said the call came in at 1:44 p.m.

The actual fire was knocked down in about 20 minutes, and the scene was cleared about 3:30 p.m.

There was a full response from the Norfolk Fire Department, all volunteers. The Lakeville Hose Company sent its rapid intervention team. Tankers from Sheffield and New Marlboro, Mass., also were called in.