49°
FAIRFIELD, Conn. A raging fire forced a Fairfield family out of their home Sunday evening and left their Tunxis Hill Road apartment uninhabitable. Alicia Buechner and her two children were in temporary housing through the American Red Cross after they saw a mass of flame tear through their building, which also houses a Chinese restaurant and a barbershop.
The Fairfield Fire Department received calls about the fire at 131 Tunxis Hill Road just before 6:15 p.m. Sunday. Though some calls reported the fire was at Beijing Restaurant, and others said it was the Tunxis Hill Package Store next door. The fire started on the back deck of the Buechners apartment above the restaurant.
Fairfield, Bridgeport and Westport fire crews put out the blaze within about a half-hour. According to Fairfield Fire Marshal Bill Kessler, the fire started on the back deck. Buechner said the cause could have been a lit cigarette butt left on the porch. People need to be careful with the disposal of smoking materials, Kessler said afterward.
Kessler said the restaurant and the barbershop on the ground floor could reopen after the electrical circuits were safely secured. Though Buechner and her family were unharmed, they will not be able to return to their apartment. The American Red Crosss local chapter helped the family of three find a temporary home until they can get a new place to live.
Want the latest news in Fairfield? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or get daily updates sent directly to your email.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
