A middle-aged woman died in a fire that broke out in an Oakland Terrace three-family home in Hartford late Saturday morning.
Neighbors told firefighters people were inside when the home at 62-64 Oakland Terrace went up in flames. The fire started on the second floor at about 11:37 a.m. and spread extensively to the third floor, according to Hartford Fire Chief Carlos Huertes. Hartford firefighters arrived on scene a couple minutes later.
A woman living on the third floor died in the fire, as well as the second-floor family's dog, Huertes said. An ambulance transported a man on the second floor to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford and he's listed in stable condition. He was then airlifted to Bridgeport in critical condition.A firefighter was also hurt.
“It’s a sad day here in Hartford today," Capt. Helene Lynch, of the Hartford Fire Department, said.
A second person on the third floor and another person living on the second floor got out of the building safely, as well as two people residing on the first floor and their pet, according to Huertes.
The name of the woman killed has not been released, but neighbors who said they knew her were stunned by her death.
“It’s really hurting me. So, I guess I broke down," Lula Prude, of Hartford, said. “She was a very friendly lady..... She went to church every Sunday.”
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The Hartford fire department's investigative unit is trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Hartford Police Department's major crimes detectives are also investigating the fatality, according to Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley.
