Thompson, CT — A longtime Thompson business was destroyed Monday morning after a fire tore through a multi-use building on Riverside Drive, requiring a three-alarm response from nearly 20 area fire departments.
At approximately 9:26 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, a first alarm was struck for a reported building fire at 470 Riverside Drive — a multi-use building housing Dumas Decorating Center on the first floor and a single-family apartment on the second floor.
West Thompson Fire Chief Whipple, Car 82, arrived on scene and assumed command, reporting heavy fire showing from the attached garage and rear of the main building with all occupants safely evacuated.
Attawaugan Fire Department’s Engine 162 (Engine 163 on loan) was the first firefighting apparatus to arrive at approximately 9:38 a.m. and immediately deployed its roof-mounted deck gun to quickly put a large volume of water on the fire. East Putnam’s Tanker 179 connected to a five-inch Large Diameter Hose (LDH) dropped in the driveway and supplied the engine with an additional 3,000 gallons of water while crews worked to establish a buffer of tankers and connections to nearby hydrants.
Firefighters from the remaining Thompson departments began arriving shortly afterward, allowing crews to deploy attack handlines from Engine 162 and make pushes into various areas of the first floor.
It was quickly determined that the garage area was unsafe for firefighters to enter, while fire conditions continued to make suppression efforts on the first and second floors difficult. A nozzle on Quinebaug’s Ladder 183 was utilized to flow water directly down into the fire, reaching areas firefighters operating from the ground could not safely access.
Due primarily to daytime manpower constraints and the stubborn fire conditions, the incident was eventually upgraded to a third alarm, bringing additional firefighters and apparatus from across the region, including departments from as far away as Southbridge and Dayville.
The fire was placed under control at approximately 1:23 p.m., nearly four hours after the initial dispatch.
While West Thompson Fire Department is the primary department for the address, it was unable to staff a firefighting apparatus during the active fire. Two West Thompson officers responded, with Chief Whipple serving as incident commander and a second officer handling accountability, while neighboring departments supplied the firefighting apparatus and crews. West Thompson’s tanker arrived after the fire had been extinguished.
This is the second significant fire in West Thompson’s district this year where the department has been unable to staff a firefighting apparatus. During an April townhouse fire on Westside Drive, West Thompson responded with two personnel in a rescue truck but was unable to staff its engine for more than an hour. Fire suppression during that incident was also handled primarily by neighboring departments.
One cat was rescued from the second-floor apartment and transported to an area veterinary hospital by the Thompson Animal Control Officer. A second cat was spotted following the fire and is believed to have escaped to the first floor of the building and possibly outside.
The owner of Dumas Decorating Center was inside the building when the fire began and reported seeing lights flicker several minutes before smelling smoke and discovering the fire. He was able to safely evacuate and alert the resident of the second-floor apartment, allowing them to escape as well. Both individuals declined medical transport.
The building sustained extensive structural damage, requiring a large portion of it to be demolished shortly after the fire. Dumas Decorating Center has been a part of the Thompson community since the 1950s, originally operating as a paint and wallpaper provider. The Dumas family operated the business for at least 50 years before the Jezierski family took over in January 2005, later expanding its offerings to include upholstery services. The business’s stock, supplies, and equipment are believed to have been lost in Monday’s fire.
The incident remains under investigation by the Thompson Fire Marshal’s Office.
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“Every time the tones drop, it’s not a symbol responding — it’s someone’s neighbor, parent, or friend getting on that truck.”