Putnam, CT – The Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office has announced that the December 20th Elmwood Hill Rd house fire has been deemed accidental with the fire originating from a household appliance.
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.
According to the Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO), a thorough origin and cause investigation has determined the fire originated within the kitchen refrigerator and quickly spread to the rest of the home. The home and all of its contents were a complete loss. Due to the extreme volume of fire, investigators were on the scene until 2:45 a.m. the following morning conducting their investigation.
While it is unclear if there is any relation, much of the area had been without power for multiple days and had just had power restored earlier in the day.
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.