A firefighter was injured and dozens of elderly and disabled Milford residents have been displaced after a fire in an apartment building Tuesday morning.
Fire officials said they received a 911 call reporting a fire at the Foran Towers housing complex at 264 High St. around 4:20 a.m. When crews responded, they found fire coming from the window of a fifth-floor apartment.
The sprinkler system contained the fire so it didn’t spread to other units.
“Open the door, you’ve got smoke in your face,” Elizabeth Romano, a resident of the Milford building, said. “Trying to grab my pants and my shoes, get out. So I came out without my shoes.”
Forty three units were evacuated, but no residents were injured. One firefighter suffered a minor injury to his eye.
The sprinkler system contained the blaze to the one apartment, but there is smoke damage to the fifth floor and water damage on the fourth and third floors of the building.
Milford Housing has responded to assist any residents that are temporarily displaced. It was not immediately clear how many residents were affected.
Local
The Milford Housing Authority is working toward minimizing mold growth after the sprinklers went off by removing the carpet and drywall.
“Probably the most extensive damage, that is maybe in the history of the housing authority. In the last 21 years, we haven’t had a fire with this much water damage,” Anthony Vasiliou, of Milford Redevelopment Housing, said.
They are also making arrangements for residents of the fourth and fifth floors to potentially relocate temporarily.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the Milford fire marshal’s office thinks it was accidental.
