A Stratford man died on Monday night after he put out an electrical fire at his home
The fire at 857 Birdseye St. was reported around 6 p.m.
Investigators told NBC Connecticut that the victim smelled smoke coming from the living room electrical outlet then saw flames. He put out the flames, but his heart stopped seconds later.
His wife found him on the floor and called for help, fire officials said.
“One of the neighbors told us she was screaming when they got here that her husband, something happened to him,” Rodrigo Franco, who lives across the street, said.
Officials have not released the man's name.
The fire marshal said the man is in his 50s, had a history of medical problems and likely over-exerted himself. Paramedics could not revive him and he died at the hospital.
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“My other brother that was here saw them working on his chest as they took him out. It's very sad,” neighbor Michael Lindberg said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire officials said it’s possible that an electrical outlet was overloaded.
