A smoke detector alerted a family to a basement fire late Monday night in Westport.
Crews responded to a home on West Branch Road at 11:05 p.m. on Monday after a fire alarm went off and they received a 911 call from the house reporting a "smoke condition" in the basement while they were on their way. A smoke detector woke the family up.
Firefighters didn't see any smoke or flames when they arrived on scene, but found smoke rising from the basement stairs when they arrived inside the front door, fire officials said in a news release.
Stretching a hose into the basement, firefighters discovered flames and were able to contain the blaze to the one room in the basement. They also brought in a back-up hose for the safety of the crew. Crews ventilated the smoke and heat in the basement.
They extinguished the fire quickly. No one was injured.
Norwalk firefighters covered the Westport station while they were battling the fire. Crews cleared the scene by 2:08 a.m.
The Westport Fire Department reminds residents of the importance of having a working smoke alarm.
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"This fire is a testament to the fact that smoke detectors save lives and in this case, woke the family up and kept the fire damage contained to one room," John Plofkin Jr., a shift commander for the fire department, wrote in a news release. "Without the early detection of the fire, the outcome of this incident may have been much worse. Residents are reminded to check and test their Smoke and Carbon monoxide detectors monthly."
The Westport fire marshal is investigating the fire. The cause is unknown at this time.
