More than a dozen people are out of their homes after the holidays due to a fire at an apartment building in North Haven. A veteran firefighter died while fighting the fire on Quinnipiac Avenue, which started just after 1 a.m. Monday.
Although all of the people who live in that building were able to escape, or weren’t home during the fire, all of the units are damaged. Fire officials say at least 13 people are displaced.
“No one has too many answers. Everyone’s been really helpful,” Megan Stafford, who lives on the second floor of the building, said.
An evening of Christmas festivities with family took a drastic turn for Stafford and her two kids.
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“I came home from this way to the street blocked off with about, I don't know 12 fire trucks, police everywhere,” she said.
When they got to their apartment around 2 a.m., they found crews battling flames.
“We left around three o'clock in the morning, just because like, what else you're going to do but watch your house burn?” Stafford said.
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Another resident got a text from the landlord this morning, after spending the night celebrating the holiday at a friend’s home.
“Definitely is something which I am not looking forward to see today, morning like right after Christmas,” “Mahesh Pallapodhu, who lives on the ground floor, said. “No idea on like, what got damaged or how the fire broke out.”
Now they are waiting for answers about the extent of the damage to all four units in the building.
“From outside, it looks fine. I don't know how it's inside the house,” Pallapodhu said.
Stafford is staying at her parents’ home with her 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. The family has six cats. One of them is missing.
“Queen. Queenie. It's my son's kitten,” Stafford said.
Even while grappling with their own loss, the people who live here send their thoughts to the family of veteran firefighter Matthias Wirtz.
“It's very sad,” Pallapodhu said. “I just want to convey my deepest regrets to their family.”
A neighbor who worked as a correction officer says a loss like this reverberates throughout the entire first responder community.
“It's definitely a tragedy there, and it's a tragedy for the entire department. Every member, police, fire,” said Bob Vankowski, who lives next to the building where the fire broke out.
Vankowski says now neighbors are stepping in to support those impacted.
“We're going to try to do all we can to at least get them something for now, to help them out a little bit,” he said.
For those displaced, next steps are still unclear.
“We’ll, you know, cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, I just take one thing at a time,” Stafford said.
While the holiday is over, Stafford feels the spirit of compassion from neighbors in something as simple as a hug, while she tries to be there for her kids.
“We weren't here, so I feel like that kind of reduces the trauma involved with it for them,” Stafford said. “But you know, it was Christmas. It was a great day.”
The Red Cross says it is committed to helping the people impacted by this tragedy.
The organization has offered its services to all involved. The Red Cross is offering immediate emergency assistance, connecting people to community partners for long-term planning, and providing mental health support.
