One Dead in Danbury House Fire

One person died and five were taken to after a 2 a.m. fire struck a home at 16 Harding Place in Danbury Sunday.

The house is owned by Chris Rotello of Danbury, and her son, City Council member Paul Rotello, declined to identify the person who died in the fire.

Without revealing his name, Rotello said the man was a retired Union Carbide employee in his 70s.

Rotello said the fire started in the man's first-floor apartment, and a second person living in the apartment escaped the fire and survived.

"The men got her out or she got herself out," Rotello said.

Assistant Chief Bernie Meehan of the said the department's platoon working Saturday night into Sunday morning was walking back into headquarters at about 2 a.m. from an earlier call when the Harding fire was reported, so they turned around and drove to Harding Drive quickly.

"The fire was burning out of the windows at us," Meehan said.

The majority of the fire seemed to be contained in the right front room. Another room in the back first floor showed no fire damage. For the exact point of origin, the Danbury Fire Marshals will investigate and figure that out. Right now, it appears as though it started in the right front room.

"The majority of the fire was there," said Liet. Joe Halas.

When Meehan arrived, which was about 30 seconds before the first fire trucks and ladder truck, he was met by two men who lived in the house. He said they may have assisted an elderly resident from her first floor bed and took her to safety next door.

"They directed us to the victim," Halas said. "I'm pretty sure they got everyone out and they brought the elderly woman to the porch next door. They told me there was still someone trapped inside."

The house was built in 1903, according to Vision Appraisal, and it is a three unit house. Meehan said he thinks six people were in the house, and one died. The other five were treated for smoke inhalation.