Reduced to ash and charred timber, two homes lay in ruin on Beach Road West in Old Saybrook on Monday. While the Fire Marshall continues investigating the cause, firefighters recalled a quickly evolving scene as they battled the blaze on Friday.
“Shortly after I got there, it became turbulent black smoke and it became a wind driven fire,” said Old Saybrook Fire Chief Joe Johnson.
Old Saybrook supplied 52 firefighters and received mutual aid from several towns, which provided nearly 50 more.
Authorities said the wind was the biggest challenge. Gusts, up to 30 mph, stoked the flames, feeding the fire allowing it to grow stronger. With wind whipping the flames from the beach toward firefighters on land, heat rose to intense levels.