Norwich

Mother and 8-year-old killed in Norwich fire: officials

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A mother and her 8-year-old daughter were killed in a fire in a three-family home on Otis Street in Norwich overnight.

A mother and her 8-year-old daughter were killed in a fire in a three-family home on Otis Street in Norwich overnight.

The fire started just before 1 a.m. Thursday, spread through the second and third floors and caused the roof to collapse.

Norwich firefighters were dispatched at 12:58 a.m. and arrived 10 minutes later. The delay was due to a malfunction in the department’s alert system, officials said.

“The third-floor tenant had found the building on fire, frantically tried to wake everybody up in the apartment, and then called 911 and had fire crews dispatched to the location,” Norwich Fire Chief Sam Wilson said.

“Our station alert tones did not go off. It was one of the lieutenants who was notified through the Everbridge system of a working fire,” Wilson said.

Firefighters encountered flames and thick black smoke and ran inside to look for the two victims who were unaccounted for.

“Crews rapidly made entry, trying to search for victims, to the point that fire pushed them back out of the building,” Wilson said.

Residents on the first and third floors made it out of the house, but the mother and daughter on the second floor didn’t.

“We take it very personal, very hard when stuff like this happens. Our job is to rescue people, put out fires, save lives. Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control but doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking for us. Our prayers go out to the family, our thoughts are with the family. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way we always want it,” Wilson said.

The child who died was a student in Norwich Public Schools and Superintendent Susan Lessard notified families on Thursday.

“It is with profound sorrow that I share heartbreaking news affecting our school community. A devastating house fire recently took the lives of one of our students and her mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and loved ones during this unimaginable time,” she said in a letter to families in the school district.

The school department said they are following the crisis response protocol to provide help to students and staff. Lessard said support services are being made available.

“Please keep this family in your hearts and prayers. We will share additional information and any opportunities to support the family as they become available,” the letter goes on to say.

Officials have not identified the mother and daughter who died.

It took four hours for firefighters to put out the fire.

Three firefighters were injured and are expected to be OK.

The Red Cross is assisting six people who are displaced.

The Norwich fire marshals and state police are investigating the fire.

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