Putnam, CT — Two firefighters were transported following a structure fire on Sunnyside Avenue Sunday evening. All residents were able to safely escape the building.
At approximately 6:20 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the Putnam Fire Department was dispatched to 27 Sunnyside Avenue for a reported porch fire in a three-family residence. Based on numerous follow-up calls, WA dispatch upgraded the assignment to a working structure fire.
The Putnam Police Department was first on scene, with officers entering the building to assist multiple residents who were still inside.
The first fire unit arrived seconds later and reported heavy fire showing. A deck gun — a truck-mounted nozzle designed to flow high volumes of water — was immediately deployed to knock down the porch fire. Due to a hydrant located directly in front of the building, crews did not have to contend with the water supply limitations often associated with deck gun operations.
Mutual aid departments secured additional hydrants on Fenner Street and Woodstock Avenue, supplying the scene with 400–500 feet of large-diameter hose (LDH) from each direction. These secondary water supplies ensured adequate flow and redundancy in the event of a hydrant failure.
Once the porch fire was knocked down, crews deployed handlines on three sides of the building to knock down visible fire from the exterior before transitioning inside for an interior attack. Due to the building’s layout, crews were initially unable to access fire in the attic space above one of the apartments and spent approximately an hour working to locate and extinguish fire within attic voids and wall spaces.
During overhaul operations, as crews opened up walls and ceilings to check for hidden fire, exterior personnel observed smoke pushing from an attic space. As interior crews made their way toward the area, conditions rapidly deteriorated, with heavy fire reported on the second floor.
Moments later, a flashover occurred — a rapid ignition of superheated gases. Air horns sounded on the scene as crews evacuated the building and regrouped.
According to the East Putnam Fire Department, one firefighter sustained minor injuries during the flashover and was transported to an area hospital.
A Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST) from the East Killingly Fire Department was already on scene at the time of the flashover. All interior crews were able to exit the building without the need for FAST deployment.
Around the same time, a second firefighter was evaluated for a medical issue. The East Putnam Fire Department confirmed that the firefighter was also transported to an area hospital for evaluation and was later released.
Following the flashover, crews re-engaged the fire using a transitional attack, cooling the second floor from the exterior before making entry again. Firefighters operated for approximately 40 additional minutes, extinguishing visible fire as well as fire within the walls.
Final crews cleared the scene at approximately 10 p.m.
No residents or bystanders were injured during the incident.
The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation by the Putnam Fire Marshal’s Office.
Quiet Corner Alerts maintains a policy of not revealing the names of victims or suspects unless they are actively being sought by law enforcement or pose a perceived threat to the public.
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