Thompson, CT – Area Firefighters worked through the night battling a blaze in a single-family home on Quaddick Town Farm Rd. State and local investigators are investigating the incident which has been deemed “suspicious” according to the State Police.
At approximately 10:45 PM on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, East Thompson Volunteer Fire Department’s 1st alarm was struck for reports of a residential structure fire at 519 Quaddick Town Farm Rd.
When units arrived on the scene they discovered a 2-story home, a 2-story unattached garage, and several vehicles fully engulfed. A live power line had also fallen blocking the roadway driveway forcing crews to fight the fire with apparatus positioned on the road. Due to the volume of fire, an interior attack on either building was impossible forcing crews to turn to exterior handlines and truck-mounted deck guns which are capable of spraying 500-2000 gallons of water per minute. Throughout the incident, firefighters were faced with several fuel and propane tanks that BLEVEd (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) as well as collapses of both structures.
With Thompson’s hydrant network only covering North Grosvenordale, departments such as East Thompson operate under a rural water supply model. With this model, numerous tanker trucks are utilized to shuttle water from natural bodies of water, in this case, Quaddick Lake, to large portable tanks deployed at the scene. With the downed powerline in the roadway, a single fill site was used but separate North and South routes were established to provide water to both sides of the divided scene.
Crews remained on the scene well into the morning ensuring there were no hotspots burning within the rubble.
[Updated 5:40 PM 9/12/24] As the sun rose, crews located a male resident with critical burn injuries approximately 200′ away from the home in the woods. UMass Life Flight was requested to a nearby landing zone at Quaddick State Park and the man was transported by air to Mass General Hospital (Boston, MA) in critical condition. Following nearly 12 hours of investigation and excavation of the ruble an adult, likely the man’s wife, was found deceased. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is working to identify the individual.
According to the Connecticut State Police, detectives from the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit (FEIU) were requested to the scene by Thompson’s Fire Marshal. Investigators quickly determined the fire to be suspicious and the Eastern District Major Crimes Squad (EDMCS) was requested to assist with the investigation.
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included the East Thompson Volunteer Fire Department, Thompson Fire Engine Company (Thompson Hill), Community Fire Company, Quinebaug Volunteer Fire Department, West Thompson Fire Department, East Putnam Fire Department, Attawaugan Fire Department, Putnam EMS, Killingly Rehab Team, Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association, Pascoag Fire Department (RI), Webster Fire Department (MA), Douglas Fire Department (MA), UMass Memorial Life Flight, KB Ambulance QV Medic, Connecticut State Police Troop D, Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit (FEIU), and the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crimes Squad (EDMCS)
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