Naugatuck Fire Caused by Man Using Blowtorch

A fire that displaced nine people at the Southwood Gardens apartment complex in Naugatuck Friday was caused by a man using a blowtorch to remove glue from a kitchen floor.

That is according to Naugatuck Fire Marshal Bill Scanlon, who said the man was trying to remove glue that was used to hold tiles on the floor. The tiles had recently been removed and the man was trying to melt the glue, Scanlon said.

The fire, which the Oxford Fire Department responded to, is ruled an accident, Scanlon said. He did not release the man’s name and said it is unclear at this point whether the man was working on behalf of the apartment complex. Scanlon said he also did not know whether the man was licensed as a home contractor and that a police detective is looking into that.

The fire spread from a floor in apartment A of complex eight to a sheetrock wall and moved quickly, Scanlon said. Several people were inside the complex when the fire broke out. Neighbors and police officers knocked on doors and got everybody out. Nobody was injured.

Read more about the fire here.

A neighbor is organizing a fundraiser to help those who have been displaced. Scanlon said the apartment complex has vacant buildings that it will put the families in temporarily.