Firefighters rescued a man who was sleeping in a home that was exposed to fire during a nearby barn fire in Fairfield on Tuesday morning.
Officials said the Fairfield Fire Department received a call from a resident reporting a chicken coop barn fire on Mine Hill Road shortly before 5 a.m.
When crews arrived, they said they found heavy smoke and fire coming from a 5,500 sq. foot, two-story structure, with fire exposed to an occupied home nearby.
Firefighters began an aggressive exterior attack on the fire, while they also searched through the occupied home. Officials said one man was rescued from the home and was led to safety by firefighters.
The family was found outside of the main house, which was approximately 100 feet away from the fire.
The man reported no injuries and the family reported a minor injury that was sustained while attempting to release chickens from the building that was on fire, firefighters said.
"The quick actions of the first arriving engine company prevented the loss of life to the occupant who was asleep and unaware of the fire. Fires like this should serve as a reminder about the importance of having working smoke detectors to alert occupants and an established meeting place outside in the event of a fire," said Fairfield Fire Department Assistant Chief Roger Caisse in a release.
Local
According to officials, due to the barn's construction style, stored fuels and propane tanks helped the fire spread quickly through the building, resulting in a collapse of the second floor. Firefighters applied cooling water to propane tanks in the building to help avoid an explosion.
Firefighters brought the fire under control in approximately 30 minutes.
