Putnam, CT – Two days into the new year Putnam Firefighters were called to their first fire of the year. This time, the exterior of two sheds were damaged.
At approximately 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 the Putnam Fire Department was called to 20 Cleveland St for a reported shed fire. Minutes earlier units had been dispatched for a reported fire alarm on South Main St. With the Cleveland St call being reported as an active fire, the first apparatus responded to that call. Simultaneously, a fire officer responded to the fire alarm, which ended up being a furnace malfunction that did not require more fire department assistance than the initial officer. If the fire alarm had ended up being a true fire, Putnam Fire’s second apparatus, or a mutual aid company, would have only been minutes away.
According to Chief Bob Campbell, Putnam Fire Department, while en route a large column of black smoke was visible from the area prompting him to request additional units from the East Putnam and Attawaugan Fire Departments. When the first unit, Squad 478, arrived on the scene, they connected to the nearby hydrant (Cleveland St and Smith St) and deployed a handline to make an immediate exterior attack on the fire, which had now extended to a second shed.
Chief Campbell went on to explain that crews did have to enter the sheds to extinguish the fire and ensure that none of the contents, which included building materials and household combustibles, would hinder firefighting operations. Crews were able to rapidly knock the fire down keeping the majority of the damage to the exterior. Crews remained on the scene for approximately an hour fully extinguishing the fire and overhauling the structure.
The fire damage was contained to the two sheds and none of the nearby houses sustained any damage.
No injuries occurred to either civilians or responders during the incident.
The Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.
Agencies that responded included: the Putnam Fire Department, East Putnam Fire Department, and the Attawaugan Fire Department.
[…] At approximately 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 the Putnam Fire Department was called to the area of 20 Cleveland St for a reported shed fire. When firefighters arrived, they found a 12’X16’ shed at 20 ½ Cleveland St and a second 10’X40’ shed to the rear of 12-16 Harrison St on fire. The sheds are situated approximately two feet apart allowing the fire to rapidly extend from the primary fire building to the secondary structure. The bulk of the damage was held to the exterior of the sheds. Read our full article on the fire here. […]