News

PHOTOS: Merritt Parkway Car Fire Sparks Brush Fire Near Waveny

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New Canaan firefighters on Wednesday afternoon put out a fully involved car fire on the Merritt Parkway. No one was injured in the motor vehicle fire on the southbound Exit 36/Old Stamford Road off-ramp, reported to the New Canaan Fire Department at 2:30 p.m., according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. “The driver was able to get out of the car unharmed,” Bassett said in the press release. “Connecticut State Police reported that the vehicle fire also started a brush fire on the Merritt Parkway southbound. The brush fire extended up the embankment into the woods behind the leaf compost site on Lapham Road.”

New Canaan Firefighters used multiple hose lines from the Merritt and compost site to extinguish about one acre of brush, the chief said.

Government

Chief: Firefighters in New Canaan Must Undergo Testing, Tactical Simulations to Move Up in Rank

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Firefighters in New Canaan who are seeking promotion can attain two ranks, lieutenant and captain, officials said this week. In rising from firefighter to either position, New Canaan’s bravest take on a slew of new responsibilities, according to Fire Chief Albe Bassett. “Lieutenants conduct training for the shift” and “are more hands-on with training,” Bassett said during the March 11 Fire Commission meeting, held at the firehouse on Main Street. 

He continued: “The captain is responsible for the entire shift. They are the overall incident commander on a fire scene, manage schedules, and ensure all members are trained and have proper equipment.”

Bassett’s comments came during an informational session on promotional processes and timelines within the municipal department. Despite the differences between lieutenant and captain duties, there’s crossover between the roles, Bassett said. 

“Each officer is responsible for various projects in the fire service, whether that’s helping with scheduling and apparatus repair, maintenance, tools and equipment, and training,” he said.

News

Fire Chief: YMCA Safely Evacuated Following Gas Leak Tuesday Morning

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The YMCA was safely evacuated Tuesday morning following a gas leak at the South Avenue building, fire officials say. At about 10:10 a.m., the New Canaan Fire Department responded to a report of a severed gas main into the building, according to Fire Chief Albe Bassett. “The gas main was damaged by a contractor performing utility work on the outside of the building,” Bassett said in a press release. “The contractor immediately notified the YMCA staff and pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the building when the incident occurred. All of the children in the day care, YMCA patrons, and staff were safely evacuated to the parking lot.”
NCFD used gas detection to ensure that there were no unsafe areas of accumulated gas in the building and the neighborhood surrounding the YMCA property, he said.

Albe Bassett

Propane Gas Leak Prompts Officials To Evacuate Buildings Downtown Wednesday Morning

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A propane gas leak prompted officials to evacuate buildings and close off a portion of the downtown for more than one hour Wednesday morning, officials say. At about 9:15 a.m., the New Canaan Fire Department responded to a report of the leak behind 15 Elm St., which turned out to have non-explosive levels of propane, according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. The address is the same as SE Uncorked. “A worker from one of the restaurants investigated an odor of gas and quickly identified a problem with one on the 100 gallon tanks,” Bassett said in the release. “The leak originated from the bleeder valve on one of the tanks in a four tank cascaded system for cooking appliances.

Albe Bassett

Thursday Morning Fire Guts Master Bath at Oak Street Home; No One Injured

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A fire gutted the master bathroom of an Oak Street home late Thursday, officials say. No one was injured in the fire at 64 Oak St. Fire dispatch notes show that emergency responders were called at about 11:22 a.m.
“The occupants in the home were alerted to the fire when the smoke detector activated,” Fire Chief Albe Bassett said in a press release. “All the occupants were able to self-evacuate without injury. New Canaan Firefighters were able to quickly knock down the fire and stop any fire extension from the room of origin.”
The fire originated in the master bath.