Fire Damages House in Groton City

Fire caused heavy structural damage to a combination business and residence on Poquonnock Road in Groton City Tuesday night, but no injuries, Groton City Fire Chief Nicholas Delia said.

Delia said the stand-alone building at 141 Poquonnock Road holds a side-by-side commercial business that collects and sells records, and residence where a man and his adult son live.

A call came in at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday reporting a furnace problem, but firefighters quickly realized it was a fire, Delia said.

“They found heavy fire in the basement and so they went after that and then they we also did a search. . .” he said. The man and his son were outside when firefighters arrived, as were their two Bulldog-type dogs.

The Red Cross was called but the man and his son, whose names were not immediately available, are staying with friends. The dogs were taken to Groton Animal Control for the night.

Delia said the fire was under control by 12:12 a.m., but firefighters remained at the scene until 3 a.m. The building official said the house is uninhabitable at the moment.

Delia said it appears that an electrical short started the fire, possibly at an extension cord, but he is still waiting for the report by the deputy fire marshal.

He said most fires the city deals with are cooking related.