A three-alarm fire broke out at a historic building in New Hartford early Tuesday morning, displacing residents and calling in crews from 31 departments across Litchfield County to assist in fighting the blaze.
Litchfield County Dispatch received numerous calls from tenants of 4 Bridge Street around 2:26 a.m. reporting that the third floor and roof of the building were on fire, Norfolk public information officer Jon Barbagallo said. Between on-scene and stand-by units, 31 departments responded to the scene of the fire, totaling between 75 and 100 first responders.
Residents of the building include twenty adults and two children, all of whom but one were accounted for by 8:45 a.m., though Barbagallo said the final individual is believed to have been rescued. Three firefighters were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Built in 1850, the three-story structure, known in town as “The New Hartford House,” has six businesses on its ground floor and fourteen apartments on two floors.
“It’s basically the town anchor for the center of New Hartford,” Barbagallo said.
Nearing 9 a.m., fire operations had ceased so that state and local fire marshals could begin a preliminary investigation and building officials could assess the structural integrity of the building.
“The front facade is a brick facade, so that is still standing, but the wooden structure behind the facade is all collapsed,” Barbagallo said.
The American Red Cross was on scene to help displaced tenants find temporary housing.
Route 44 and the immediate area will likely remain closed for the rest of the day.
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