Putnam, Conn. – A Putnam home was a complete loss when firefighters arrived to find flames billowing from 90% of a residence Wednesday night.
At 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 a 1st alarm assignment was struck for the East Putnam Fire Department. Crews were requested to 271 Elmwood Hill Rd for a fully involved house fire. When East Putnam Fire Chief Abe Walker arrived on the scene less than 10 minutes later, for the first time in over a decade as Chief he reported “It’s fully involved”. There was no chance of saving the structure.
Due to the immense amount of embers being cast into the air, a 100′ ring of grass around the home caught fire and a nearby barn was threatened. Firefighters immediately began defending the barn before turning towards the home. Multiple 2.5″ and 1.75″ handlines were deployed to the A/B (front-left) and A/D (front-right) corners to douse the flames. They hardly made a dent as the fire raged on.
With the home being a total loss, an exterior “surround and drown” operation began. The structure collapsed 20 minutes later leaving crews hours of work extinguishing the remaining rubble.
Due to the home being situated ~1000′ off the roadway with an uphill dirt driveway the scene was inaccessible to aerial trucks. To supply water to the 3 Engine-Tankers operating on the scene, 5″ Large Diameter Hose (LDH) was laid up the driveway and supplied by a nurse tanker at roadside. A tanker shuttle was established to ensure the nurse tanker remained supplied. Due to winter conditions, crews were forced to overcome multiple water supply problems. The initial water supply, Pulaski State Park, RI, had been drained for the winter meaning there was no water to draft from. A water supply ended up being established near “Rawson’s Bridge” in the vicinity of 536 Quaddick Rd, Thompson. As tankers shuttled water between the water hole and the scene, spilled water began freezing creating hazardous conditions on the hilly rural roads. The DPW responded to mitigate the issue.
The Special Signal Association Providence Canteen responded to the scene to support fire crews as they worked through the night quelling hot spots as the temperature dropped into the low 30s.
The fire was held to a 1st alarm assignment with the addition of several mutual aid tankers.
Putnam EMS stood by at the scene but was not required to treat any injuries.
The homeowner was reportedly out of town during the incident and nobody else was in the residence at the time of the fire.
The fire is under investigation by the Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office.
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included: the East Putnam Fire Department, Putnam Fire Department, Thompson Fire Engine Company, Dudley Fire Department, Attawaugan Fire Department, Quinebaug Fire Department, Dayville Fire Department, East Killingly Fire Department, East Thompson Fire Department, West Thompson Fire Department, West Glocester Fire Department, Chepachet Fire Department, Putnam EMS, and the Special Signal Association Providence Canteen.
Prints are available here.
[…] the volunteers on the scene, this was their 3rd structure fire within 24 hours after responding to East Putnam and West […]
[…] At 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 fire crews were dispatched to 271 Elmwood Hill Rd for a reported structure fire. On arrival, crews found the 2,200 square foot cape-style home and its attached garage fully involved in fire. The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and the fire went unnoticed for an extended time due to the home’s remote location. With the home unsavable, a nearby barn became the focus as it was battered by embers raining down from the nearby fire. The home was a complete loss but the barn was saved without damage. The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported by any responders on the scene. Read our full article on the fire here. […]