Fire on McKinley Avenue Displaces Family of Four

A family of four are staying in a hotel tonight after their home was damaged in a fire.

Stratford Asst. Fire Chief Lance Edwards said when firefighters arrived at 132 McKinley Ave. at about 6 p.m. Friday, a convertible in the driveway was fully involved, shooting flames up the left side of the two-story home.

At about the same time, a resident on Roosevelt Avenue, which runs parallel to McKinley, said he saw "billowing black smoke in the sky."

"I panicked and made a mad dash to the house," said Damien Myers. He said he heard "a big boom" and then the car "pretty much exploded."

"It was parked so close to the house the siding caught," Myers said.

Edwards said the fire caused extensive damage -- mainly smoke damage -- but never entered the house. Firefighters went into the attic and poked holes in the roof, allowing the smoke to vent through, he said. The fire was put out about 25 minutes after firefighters arrived.

United Illuminating had to cut power to the home, said Edwards, adding that it's unlikely the family will be able to move back in anytime soon.

Rafael Negron said he was inside his home when he got a phone call that his 1985 Mustang GT was on fire in the driveway. Negron said he initially tried to douse the flames in the front part of the car with a bucket of water.

Negron said he rents the home and lives there with his wife and two kids.

"We're going to the hotel," he said about 30 minutes after the fire was extinguished. "Everyone's OK."

Stratford fire marshals are investigating the cause of the car fire.

Editor's note: The Roosevelt Avenue resident was initially identified as Damien Scott, not Damien Myers.