News

‘We Got Very Lucky’: Firefighters Contain, Extinguish Canoe Hill Road Brush Fire [PHOTOS]

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Firefighters put out a brush fire in a heavily wooded area off of Canoe Hill Road around midday Tuesday that started after a dead tree fell onto power lines. A primary power line broke under the weight of the tree and fell among dry leaves and brush on the ground in the area of 337 Canoe Hill Road, igniting a fire that likely would have spread very quickly if not for the vigilance of a neighbor who alerted emergency responders immediately, according to New Canaan Fire Chief Jack Hennessey. Firefighters arrived on scene with Engine 1 and Tanker 8 and contained the fire after receiving the call at about 11:39 a.m.—they had to wait for Eversource to arrive and shut down the power line prior to extinguishing it. “That is a primary wire and still energized so we cannot get close to it and we especially can’t shoot water on it,” Hennessey said, pointing at the area where the fire started, still aflame. “So we have to wait till they [Eversource officials] come in and shut off the power and then we can mop up and put the rest of the fire out.”

New Canaan Police shut down Canoe Hill Road between Ludlowe and Ferris Hill Roads while firefighters kept a close eye on the brush fire.

News

Police: Mercedes Crosses Oncoming Traffic Lane, Crashes on North Wilton Road

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A young motorist sped across an oncoming traffic lane and off of a rain-slickened North Wilton Road early Monday afternoon, officials said. No one was seriously injured in the accident, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. in the area of 248 North Wilton Road, just beyond the final curve where it comes into Laurel. Police, firefighters and EMTs with the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps responded to the scene, which halted traffic in both directions for about 20 minutes. Officials at the scene said the driver, a young man, had been heading northbound on North Wilton Road shortly after some rainfall. He appeared to veer into the oncoming traffic lane and swerved to avoid a large SUV, sending his car, a Mercedes, onto the grassy shoulder, where it continued and struck a stone wall near a cluster of large trees, officials said.

News

‘An Opportunity To Give Back To The Community’: New Canaan’s Volunteer Firefighters

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As a child, lifelong New Canaanite Peter Ayoub dreamt of becoming a firefighter or astronaut. A 2003 New Canaan High School graduate who now works as a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers doing M&A advisory, Ayoub recalls donning firefighters’ outfits for several Halloweens in New Canaan. More recently, especially after purchasing a house in town a little more than one year ago, the grownup Ayoub said he found himself “looking for an opportunity to give back to the community.”

Ayoub’s inspiration for making that a priority has been his own parents. “They’re both doctors in town and they always gave back,” he said. “I was trying to find an avenue myself, to get involved and help the people I care about.”

Those people being fellow New Canaanites, and recent weeks have seen some of the ways they’ve needed help, as frozen water pipes have burst at dozens of New Canaan houses from extreme low temperatures, and high winds have taken down trees and limbs that knocked power out of more than 1,000 homes.

Government

Smoke Billows from Top of Town Hall Saturday As Officials ‘Burn the Furnace’

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Town Hall smoke-Feb 13 2016
Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2016-02-13. Smoke billowed from the roof of Town Hall Saturday morning and lingered downtown for part of the day, as officials worked to repair the furnace problem that appears to be sending exhaust back into the public building—to the point where the structure had to be closed for nearly all of Tuesday. Asked about the smoke, fire officials said that those in charge of Town Hall decided to “burn the furnace” in order to clear it out. In other words, Fire Capt. John Raidt said, there may have been an oil deposit inside the furnace and so workers ignited it in order to clear it off. There is a “very minimal hazard of fire,” so firefighters were standing by, Raidt said.

News

Minor Injuries, Possible Arrest Following Two-Car Accident on Old Stamford Road Wednesday Night

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One person was taken to Norwalk Hospital with minor injuries following a 2-car accident Wednesday evening on Old Stamford Road. The New Canaan Ambulance Corps, New Canaan Fire Department and New Canaan Police Department responded at about 6:55 p.m. to the area of 87 Old Stamford Road on a report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries. A minivan in the northbound lane sustained severe damage to its front driver’s side while a Jeep facing southbound and pulled over about 25 yards away, showed damage to the same area. It isn’t clear what caused the accident. Police could be seen conducting field sobriety and breath tests on a young woman.