On Saturday morning, crews from Sharon, Cornwall, Canaan and Wassiac,NY gathered to do some room and contents fires and finally burn the building down. Sharon Utility 2 was placed on the back lawn in case any fire spread to the brush in the rear of the building. Canaan Engine 16 was set up just past the house on the road and was feed from a 3 inch line 200 feet from Sharon Engine 3 which was on the road on the other side of the house. Engine 3 was drafting from a 1500 gallon porta tank directly in front of the truck and a 2000 gallon tank in front of the 1500 gallon tank. A 6 inch suction hose was run 30 feet up to the 1500 gallon tank and a 2.5 inch was run into the 2000 gallon tank. A 6 inch jet siphon was run between the two tanks. Tankers from Cornwall, Canaan and Wassiac dumped into the tanks to keep the scene supplied with water. They were filling at the hydrant on Whitford Road at the intersection with Jackson Hill Road, making it about a 6 mile round trip. Tankers had to back 800 feet down the road from the Sharon Mountain intersection to dump their water. Each tanker dumped 2 loads of water.
Crews light a fire in the upstairs bedroom first and then went in and put it out using lines from Canaan 16. They next started a fire in the Kitchen and other crews went in a put it out. All crews were puled back and the building was set on fire in different places. Flames spread with some of the flames getting over 50 feet above the house. With the extreme heat, crews had to place a hose line directed at Engine 16 to keep it cool. Crews were amazed at how far the heat spread as an oil tank taken out of the house was smoking and it was over 100 feet from the hose.
It only took about 20 minutes for the house to become fully involved after the fires were started.
Please check the File library tab for the order form for House 911 Numbers. All addresses are required to have 911 numbers visible.
Updated Spring 2020 : For the time being: You may call the office at 860-364-0909 and register for a one month burning permit. Two indexes are required to be checked each day in order to Burn - the Air Quality Index and the Burning (Forest Fire) index. A Burn days required that it be clear to partly cloudy with winds not more than 15 mph. You must call each day to plan to burn at 860-364-0909. Connecticut allows burning when conditions are right all year long. Note that NY State has a burn ban from March 16 - May 14th.