Closed Door Saves Sterling Home

Sterling, Conn. – The quick thinking of a homeowner, to close a bedroom door, resulted in minimal damage from a residential fire in Sterling on Thursday evening.

At approximately 1015 pm on Thursday, January 26th, 2023, the Sterling Fire Department, along with mutual aid departments, was dispatched to 15 Logans Way for a reported structure fire.

According to Oneco Fire Department’s Chief Pete Capobianco, the incident commander, on arrival units found heavy smoke behind the closed door of a second-floor bedroom. As additional companies arrived on the scene a hose line was advanced into the home and a burning mattress was discovered. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire approximately 10 minutes into the incident.

According to Chief Capobianco, it is likely that a dog knocked a lit candle onto a bed causing it to ignite.

Chief Capobianco went on to state that the closed door is the reason the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the home. Had the homeowner not closed the door upon discovering the fire things would’ve been much worse.

The homeowner safely exited the house with their dog, but the fire department was required to remove an unharmed cat from the home.

The fire did not result in any injuries.

Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included the Sterling Fire Department, Oneco Fire Department, Moosup Fire Department, Atwood Hose Fire Company, West Coventry Fire Department, South Killingly Fire Department, Danielson Fire Department, and Moosup EMS.