An electrical short in the attic of the commercial building at Main Street and East Avenue caused the Labor Day third-story fire that closed the busy downtown intersection that night and five businesses through the week.
Scenes from the fire at 96 Main St. in New Canaan on Sept. 5, 2016. Credit: Terry Dinan
A piece of Romex non-metallic sheath cable “was compressed by some wood,” Fire Marshal Fred Baker told NewCanaanite.com.
“It shorted out and caused the fire,” he said. “We are very lucky that the building had an active fire sprinkler system that activated and put the fire out for the most part. Very, very lucky.”
Asked preventative steps, if any, residents and property owners could take to try and head off such a problem in the future, Baker said, “good housekeeping.”
Scenes from the fire at 96 Main St. in New Canaan on Sept. 5, 2016. Credit: Terry Dinan
“There was a lot of different materials stored up in the attic,” he said. “So good housekeeping and keeping things in good shape.”
Emergency responders, including members of the New Canaan Fire Department just up Main Street, rushed to the 1912-built, brick building at 96 Main St. at about 7:48 p.m. on Sept. 5.
Five businesses located within the structure were forced to closed pending an electrical survey of the building, fire officials said. Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant on the street level facing Forest Street had not reopened as of Monday afternoon, pending repairs, according to a representative of the business.
An owner at Kaahve coffee shop on the street-level floor of Main Street, Patrice Cezzar, said power was restored Thursday, and the business reopened midday.
“We were fortunate that our store had neither fire nor water damage,” Cezzar said. “Many thanks to the fire department for quickly containing the fire and the property management company for getting the building operational quickly. We look forward to welcoming our customers back.”