Danbury, CT, September 13--Fire department personnel tore down a warehouse packed with highly flammable flooring materials after a Sunday morning blaze sent plumes of thick smoke billowing into the air, according to the Danbury News-Times.
Witnesses said the blaze started in garbage piled outside a trash bin, then spread to the two-story, wood framed structure to the rear of Danbury Floors on Main Street.
"It didn't take long. It went up the side of the building and before you knew it, it was up to the roof," said Herman Samuels.
No one was injured and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Several people said police took a man away from the scene in handcuffs, but Lt. James King said later the man had only been questioned and was released without charges.
Deputy Fire Marshal Jim Johnson stopped short of saying the fire was intentionally set.
"There are a lot of materials used in the flooring business lying around the Dumpster, stuff like sanding disks and adhesives. It's like a pile of green wood chips. They can just start smoldering," he said.
Main Street resident Carlos Andrade, whose apartment building is separated from the warehouse by a parking lot, said he was on his way to his car when he saw flames around the trash bin shortly before 11 a.m.
Initially, Andrade said, the flames were only about knee-high, and he grabbed a stick and tried to pull the materials apart.
But something in the burning trash exploded, and the flames shot up, forcing him to retreat, he said.
Police closed Main Street to traffic between the South Street intersection and the A&P Super Foodmart plaza. Residents of several nearby apartment buildings and employees from neighborhood businesses gathered to watch firefighters battle the blaze.
Assistant Chief Jeff Tierney said firefighters had to use caution when they approached the burning building because they knew what was inside.
"You've got carpet and foam backing, vinyl, and maybe some adhesives in the basement. By the time we got here, the building was already showing signs of instability," he said.
After an initial attack, firefighters backed off and let the flames eat through the roof, giving them direct access to the flames, Tierney said.
The building was later taken down after the structure was condemned by the city building department, said Assistant Chief Charlie Slagle.
John Vincent, who manages the Main Street property for owner Pete DeLucia, praised firefighters for quickly containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading to adjacent structures. "We're just happy no one got hurt," DeLucia said.
