Donations Needed For Family After Fire
Family Made It Out Of Home With Moments To Spare
WFSB.com POSTED: 4:06 pm EDT November 5, 2010
NIANTIC, Conn. -- A young Niantic couple and their 15-day-old baby lost their home in a fire and on Friday they got some much-needed help from their community. Early Monday morning, a smokey fire forced the Birdsell family, including a then 10-day-old baby girl, out of their home. On Friday, the town of East Lyme is spearheading a drive to replace everything the family lost. "They had a small place," said East Lyme First Selectman Paul Formica. "Everything they owned was in it. The place was completely destroyed. You're talking about clothes, furniture and baby stuff." The family has already received basic necessities like cribs, a microwave and other items. The fire marshal said faulty wiring with an electric baseboard heater started the blaze. Family members said the flames erupted when they moved a mattress away from the heater. "I covered (the baby's) face and got her out of the house once I saw the flames next to our bed," said Courtney Birdsell."What we're trying to do is find where the next place they are going so we can have things delivered right there," Formica said. "In the meantime lets just bring things to town hall." If you would like to help, e-mail Formica at pformica@eltownhall.com or call his office at 860-739-6931, Ext. 110.
Fire destroys cottage in East Lyme
By Izaskun E. Larrañeta
Publication: theday.com
East Lyme — An early morning fire destroyed a small cottage at 68 Black Point Road. Fire Marshal Richard Morris said the fire at cottage 3 was reported at 2:49 a.m. He said a young couple and their 10-day-old infant resided in the rented home. Morris said the mother, Courtney Birdsell, got up to check on the infant. He said Birdsell smelled smoke inside the dwelling. When she turned to her rear, she noticed that there was a small fire between her bed and the wall. The family escaped the fire without injury, Morris said. Firefighter Miles Worthington said when fire crews got to the scene flames were shooting from the rear of the home. He said it took about 45 minutes to get the fire under control. No firefighters were injured. Morris said the home, including its contents, were destroyed. The home is owned by Greg Stratos of East Lyme. Morris said the Niantic and Flanders fire departments responded as well as a Mohegan FAST team. The American Red Cross was also on the scene. Morris said the family is staying with relatives in Old Lyme. Morris said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He is, however, focusing on a baseboard heater that may have started the fire.
Family, Including Newborn, Escapes Niantic Fire
Bedding Near Radiator May Have Ignited Blaze, Fire Officials Say
NIANTIC, Conn. -- A Niantic family, including its 10-day-old baby, was able to escape an overnight fire at a Nicantic cottage.The fire was reported at about 2:40 a.m. Monday at a cottage on Black Point Road."I got up to giver her a pacifier and a bottle and I turned, literally did a turn like this, I saw the flames in my bedroom, screamed at my husband to get her out that there was a fire and covered her face like this and ran out the door," said the child's mother, Courtney Birdsell.Birdsell said she had just enough time to get her newborn daughter out of the burning home."I covered her face and got her out of the house once I saw the flames next to our bed," she said.Fire officials told Eyewitness News that a blanket near a radiator may have ignited the blaze, which destroyed the home."As the occupant left the bedroom, she saw that the bedding started to catch on fire next to the baseboard radiator heater, and that's what we're looking at now," said East Lyme Fire Marshal Dick Morris. (http://www.wfsb.com/news/25590463/detail.html November 1, 2010)
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