Putnam, CT – The cause of the January 2nd Cleveland St fire that damaged two sheds has been determined to be accidental.
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.
According to the Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office, an origin and cause investigation determined the fire to be caused after a resident of 20 ½ Cleveland St removed ashes from a recreational fire pit where they had a fire the evening before. The ashes were stored in a plastic bin which was placed under a wooden bench adjacent to the shed where they intended to further dispose of them. The resident became distracted while assisting a neighbor when they noticed the plastic bin, bench, and shed had ignited. The resident attempted to contain the fire with a garden hose but was unable to as the flames rapidly grew out of control.
There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. If anyone has information concerning this fire or any other fire incident in Putnam, they are asked to call the Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office at (860) 963-6800 ext112.