Norwich

7 Families Displaced After Fire at 121-Year-Old Apartment Building in Norwich

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Seven families are displaced after a fire at a 121-year-old apartment building in the Taftville section of Norwich on Saturday night.

Firefighters were called to the building on Norwich Avenue just before 11 p.m. after getting a report of a fire with a person trapped.

When emergency crews arrived, they said they found heavy smoke coming from the building and one resident was unable to get out. That resident was removed and transported to the hospital to be evaluated, fire officials said. There is no word on the extent of that person's injuries.

According to fire officials, the building was built in 1900 and had a balloon frame. A balloon frame means it has voids from the basement to the attic and between floors that helps fire travel through the building undetected.

Crews found the origin of the fire on the ground floor and in a pipe chase all the way to the roof and between floors, fire crews said. The wind fueled the fire burning in the voids and helped the fire to spread.

Investigators said seven families in total were displaced from the fire.

The fire marshal's office is investigating.

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