Fred Baker

Fire Marshal: Hot Fireplace Ashes Ignited Garbage Truck Load on Conrad Road

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New Canaan’s fire marshal is reminding residents that fireplace ashes can remain hot for several days, after a garbage truck fire on Conrad Road last week appeared to be caused by a “hot load.”

Emergency responders were called to the area of 51 Conrad Road at about 7:58 a.m. on Feb. 4 on a report of a truck fire. 

There, they found the garbage truck with its contents on fire, which required the operator to dump the load into the road so that it could be extinguished without damaging the vehicle, according to Fire Marshal Fred Baker. “The likely cause of the fire was fire place ashes that had been disposed of from the weekend,” Baker said in a press release. “Fortunately, there were no injuries. Also, fortunately for some homeowner, their garbage pickup was Monday morning and not Tuesday morning—the fire would have been in their home.”

In addition to allowing fireplace ashes to cool, the ashes if they must be removed should go into an approved metal container with a tight lid, Baker said.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal Issues Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

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As the temperature drops top some of the coldest temps this season it is a good time to ensure that carbon monoxide or ‘CO’ detectors are installed and properly working. The New Canaan Fire Department has responded within the past two weeks and dealt with homes that contained elevated levels of CO. One was from a fire place damper that was closed too early after a fire. Another was from a malfunctioning heating system. In both cases the homeowners were unaware and were alerted by their CO detectors.

Fred Baker

Firefighters Respond to Blaze on Ludlowe Road Late Saturday

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Firefighters late Saturday extinguished a blaze at an eastern New Canaan home that appears to have resulted from improperly disposed smoke materials. At about 10:50 p.m. on Nov. 10, members of the New Canaan Fire Department were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 102 Ludlowe Road, according to Fire Marshal Fred Baker. There, they found a small fire that had been extinguished by the homeowner, who had been alerted by smoke detectors, Baker said. No injuries were reported, he said.

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Resident Flees Electrical Fire, Underscoring Need for Improved Cell Coverage

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A woman in northeast New Canaan who had lost power and had no cell phone coverage on Saturday drove away from a suspected fire at her Bob Hill Lane house to find help from emergency responders, officials said. Fortunately, she came across New Canaan firefighters on nearby Laurel Road, where a tree had fallen on power lines, and told them about the emergency at her house. “Firefighters immediately radioed communications to dispatch for a structure fire and responded to the scene,” Fire Marshal Fred Baker said in a release. The first arriving units found a shorted surge protector. The suppressor strip itself was destroyed, according to Fire Chief Jack Hennessey, and fortunately the fire did not spread beyond it.

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New Canaan Fire Marshal: ‘Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries’

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“There is no greater tragedy than one that could have been prevented.” I cannot take credit for this statement—however, I could not agree more and the tragedy of home fires and the devastation they inflict is a perfect example. And when prevention is as easy as installing and maintaining smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, it becomes more important. 

This year daylight savings time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. (Remember “Spring ahead – Fall back.”) 

In concert with the nationwide campaign “Change Your Clocks – Change Your Batteries,” the New Canaan Fire Department and the New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office also want to remind everyone to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. By being proactive this also helps avoid that annoying “chirp” that inevitably starts at 2 in the morning.