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NORWALK, Conn. Two buildings sustained minor damage during a busy Tuesday evening for the Norwalk Fire Department. First there was a fire on Ely Avenue. Then there was one on Van Zant Avenue. Quick thinking by a member of the armed services kept the second fire from spreading, according to Deputy Chief Edward Prescott.
A vehicle fire caused more problems than it might when it happened in the garage of County Construction, at 258 Ely Ave., South Norwalk, just after 5 p.m. A commercial pickup truck was in one of three garages attached to a business office when the fire started in its engine compartment. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes, after cutting the garage door for access. The truck and some nearby construction equipment were damaged.
Fire crews stayed on the scene until 7:15 p.m. to make sure the fire didnt get into the garages roof. They ventilated the roof to relieve the built-up heat and fire gases. With some minor repairs and cleaning, the company remained open for business.
At about 7:40 p.m., an electrical service line overheated in East Norwalk. Flaming insulation from the wires fell onto the awning of the Beijing Restaurant, at 36 Van Zant St., setting it on fire.
Apartments are located over the restaurant, and a Laundromat is next door, all in one large building. Fire Inspector Brodrick Sawyer credits Army Specialist Harrison Arango for his help in keeping the fire in check, according to Prescott. Arango was in the area and used an extinguisher from the restaurant to knock down the flames on the burning awning until fire crews arrived.
The fire damaged the buildings vinyl siding. While East Norwalk Electric crews secured power to the building, firefighters checked the interior for any fire extension. Fire damage was limited to the exterior, and power was restored by 10:30 p.m. The 25 residents returned to their apartments.
Sawyer was on the scene of both fires and was investigating the cause of the truck fire.
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