WATERBURY, CT – At approximately 10am on July 13, 2020, the Waterbury Fire Department was dispatched to a working fire at 43 Colley Street in a 3-story apartment building that housed 12 units and a grocery store on the ground level. The fire appeared to have started in the rear of the structure on the 3rd floor from a scooter. The incident quickly escalated to a 3rd alarm and extended to a 2 1/2-story, wood frame at 37 Colley Street. Smoke could be seen from blocks away.
Firefighters took steps to stay hydrated during the extended operations with temps in the 80s. Unfortunately, the fire took the life of a 67 year-old man on the 3rd floor and displaced 35 others. No firefighters were injured in the blaze.