A mansion in Connecticut caught fire on Thanksgiving due to an attempt to fry a turkey in the garage.
Thanksgiving is a time for celebration and gratitude, but safety must be a top priority, especially when cooking the turkey.
The dramatic images of a mansion engulfed in flames highlight the potential dangers of cooking mishaps.
The Weston Volunteer Fire Department received an alert shortly after 3:40pm on Thursday (November 28), when an automatic fire alarm was triggered on Weston Road, a well-off area in town.
“Upon arrival, fire personnel located a well involved garage fire that was rapidly extending into the residence,” a Facebook update from the Weston Volunteer Fire Department noted.
“Firefighters attempted an aggressive fire attack however their efforts were thwarted by dangerous fire conditions and structural collapse.
“In addition, a vehicle drove over the water supply hose on Weston Road, damaging the line, which completely stopped the flow of water for several minutes.”
Firefighters remained at the scene for an extensive 16 hours, fighting the blaze as the intense heat kept them from getting too close.
The fire is believed to have originated from the residents frying a Thanksgiving turkey in the garage, though the official cause has not been determined yet.
Weston Volunteer Fire Department Chief John Pokorny told CT Insider: “When we arrived, the whole garage end of the house was on fire – like a third of the house.
“It accelerated really rapidly. We had great water supply. Really, the issue was the fire had progressed so much by the time we arrived on scene.”
CT Insider reports that 25 individuals were inside the mansion for the Thanksgiving celebration, and all managed to escape without harm.
However, the mansion has been declared uninhabitable by authorities.
Photos shared by Weston Today show that only the exterior deck of the mansion remains recognizable, indicating significant loss to the homeowner.
Weston First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor said in a statement: “I would like to thank all the Weston volunteer firefighters, Weston volunteer EMS, WPD, as well as the mutual aid fire departments from Westport, Easton, Wilton, Ridgefield, Georgetown, Redding, and West Redding, who battled the house fire during Thanksgiving.
“Special thanks to the Weston Public Work, American Red Cross, Salvation Army of Danbury, Aquarion, Eversource and Soco Gas for their assistance. Thank you for your Service and I am grateful everyone is safe.”