Fire officials have determined that “misuse of an extension cord” caused an East Norwalk blaze that left three families homeless Tuesday afternoon.
“On our end, the investigation is complete. The cause of the fire was electrical overload and the origin was a window air conditioner,” said Fire Marshal Broderick Sawyer. “If you have an extension cord not being used consistently with the manufacturer’s recommendations, it could result in a fire.”
Eighteen residents were displaced when a fire rushed through the third story of 2 Platt St. at approximately 4 p.m. No injuries were reported.
The American Red Cross is helping the home’s residents, which consists of 12 adults and six children, by providing assistance to meet the immediate needs of the families.
The Red Cross is also providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant; shaving supplies and other items a resident might not have been able to gather in the rush to escape the fire.
In addition, a recovery envelope containing information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup, notification of important contacts, dealing with damaged items and more was provided.
Sawyer said that investigators were unable to determine whether the circuits in the house had tripped due to the overload or whether they had all been turned off.