Several firefighters had to be taken to the hospital after a roaring house fire in Newington Saturday afternoon.
It created such a tremendous amount of smoke people across the area could see it.
“The trees were on fire. The flames were really high in the sky," Brenda Belanger, of Newington, tells us.
“The whole neighborhood was black, it was under. It was completely, you couldn’t see in front of you a foot. It was awful," Shannon Carrion, of Newington, stated.
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From the incredible flames to the dark, billowing smoke that people could spot around the area, neighbors watched as dozens of firefighters battled a house fire on Audobon Avenue.
“They immediately went into a defensive attack to try to fight the fire," says Newington Fire Marshal DJ Zordan.
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Flames caused significant damage to the house, the garage and several vehicles, including a camper. The extreme heat also melted the outside of several others nearby.
“It was a challenge right off the bat to not only have to deal with one building burning but they were actually dealing with four buildings," continued Zordan.
Zordan said while no civilians were injured, four Newington firefighters were taken to an area hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation or heat-related concerns. All have since been treated and released and are doing fine.
Everyone was able to get out of the home okay.
"Explosions after explosions. We heard four. One right after another," noted Belanger.
At the time, breathing was difficult because of the tremendous amount of smoke that was pouring out of the home. NBC CT spoke with neighbors who came out to see what was going on.
Family members were concerned about what had happened to their animals.
Because of the number of homes involved, Eversource cut off power, leaving more than 100 customers in the dark.
Now, many are thinking of their neighbors who have lost so much.
“Everybody is really nice. It’s a small neighborhood. Everybody likes each other. We all get along with each other. It’s really sad to see someone’s house, their life just going up in flames. It was just awful," Carrion added.
About 60 firefighters worked throughout the afternoon and into the evening hours to quell the flames.
"Thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by the fire on Audubon Ave today. Thankful that everyone is ok. Also thankful for our amazing Newington Volunteer Fire Department and their willingness to put their lives on the line for all of us. Give your loved ones an extra squeeze tonight. I know our community will help the families involved," Mayor Beth DelBuono said in a statement.
A State Police fire investigation team has also been called in to help as authorities try to figure out how and where this fire started.
