By Frank Juliano
FAIRFIELD — An elderly woman and her housekeeper escaped without injury when their Southport cape caught fire Saturday afternoon.
The gray, vinyl-sided home was a total loss, Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Reid said. "The home is uninhabitable at this point and the occupants have been displaced. They are staying with relatives,'' he said.
The blackened interior was heavily damaged by smoke and water, and firefighters had to chop holes in the roof to vent the smoke. Firefighters from the Southport, Tunxis Hill, Fairfield Center and Westport stations were dispatched to the scene, shortly after 1:30 p.m. to find the house fully engulfed in flames and the women safely across the street, Reid said. An engine company and a ladder company from Bridgeport staffed the Southport firehouse, providing mutual aid.
The fire appeared to have started in a rear family room, Reid said.
Fire Marshal William Kessler remained at the scene throughout the afternoon. investigating the cause. A determination is not expected to be made until early next week, officials said.
The garage on the right side of the house was blackened and the cars inside it covered with soot. Pink fiberglass insulation torn from the walls covered shrubs.
Firefighters tossed several smoldering items from the house onto the lawn, including an upholstered chair.
Town land records indicate that the house at 60 Sasco River Lane is owned by Eugene and Edith Moore, and appraised for $954,400.
United Illuminating Co. crews arrived at about 3 p.m. to shut off power to the house, and a town building official surveyed the damage. The police mobile command center was also at the scene. Volunteers provided cases of bottled water to firefighters as they came out of the house and laid their air packs on the driveway.
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