Generator Catches Fire, Damages East Haven House

A generator located underneath a Meadow Street residence caught fire at about 11 p.m. last night, but was extinguished before causing extensive damage to the two-story structure.

Jim Burness said he heard a loud noise and went outside his house at 189 Meadow St. to check on it. That's when Burness saw smoke and flames coming from under the house, he said Tuesday morning.

He immediately called 911.

Residents of this neighborhood along the Farm River heard the noise, too. Burness' neighbor, Dan Norden, said he went outside to see what was going and that's when he saw the flames and smoke. He said his other neighbor went to call 911 but firefighters were already coming down the street.

"They got here super quick," Norden said.

The fire department's speedy response came despite the fact that there are several trees down in the surrounding roads, which are extremely narrow in some parts.

The East Haven Fire Department was not immediately available for comment.

The fire was extinguished pretty quickly, Burness and neighbors said. But not before some damage was inflicted. Several lawn mowers and other items stored under the house were ruined.

"The whole porch area got pretty well beat up," Burness said. The smell of smoke lingered in the air.

Like most East Haven residents, Burness is without power following Irene's onslaught. The generator, which Burness had owned for years, was providing electricity.

"It ran beautifully for years," he said.

He's not the only one in the neighborhood who took to using a generator for electricity. The steady hum of engines reverberates throughout the area.

Norden doesn't have a generator. He's getting by with "candles and ice."

But he had to throw out his food today. And the power company told him it would be 10 days until power is restored.

for some safety tips for using generators.