Waterbury mayor calls for action plan following fire that destroyed home, 2 cars
Waterbury’s mayor has called for action from several city departments in response to the fire on Bennett Avenue Monday night that destroyed a home and two cars.
The crews were delayed in extinguishing the fire because the two fire hydrants on Bennett Avenue were not supplying water. Firefighters had to use a hydrant on Fairfield Avenue, which is about 0.2 miles away.
Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. directed Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo to investigate the insufficient water flow from the hydrants at the scene to determine what preventative inspection and maintenance protocols are necessary.
This investigation will compare the city’s practices to federal, state, and local standards, as well as those of other similarly sized Connecticut towns.
Fire Chief Javier Lopez and Superintendent of Water Bradley Malay have also been directed to develop a city-wide plan to identify fire hydrants with insufficient water flow and outline steps to resolve the issues.
This plan will also establish a procedure to enable the Waterbury Fire Department to track the performance status of fire hydrants across the city.
Pernerewski has asked that this plan be submitted within a week.
“This situation demands swift and decisive action,” Pernerewski said. “Public safety is our highest priority. We are taking a hard look at our systems, holding ourselves accountable, and implementing the necessary measures to ensure our firefighters have the resources they need to respond effectively. We will learn from this and take every step required to make sure it does not happen again.”
While there was significant property damage, no injuries were reported from the fire.
The Fire Marshal’s office is still investigating the incident.
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