State Troopers Rescue Sleeping Man From New Britain Fire

State troopers are credited with saving a middle-aged New Britain man from a burning house after a fire broke out while he was sleeping, but two family pets didn't survive the blaze. New Britain police say that fire was deemed suspicious, and they have made an arrest.

Crews responded to a single family home at 20 Wilson Street around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday after two state troopers noticed flames and called to report a fire.

“There was someone sleeping on the second floor," Eddie Irizarry, New Britain fire inspector, said. "A trooper noticed the fire, went inside, banged on the door, was able to pull that person out of the building.”

The fire, which started on the porch quickly spread to the kitchen, sent smoke and flames throughout the first and second floors, fire officials said.

While firefighters were able to get the fire under control fairly quickly, hot spots rekindled about two hours later.

The home has been deemed a total loss. Two family pets, a dog and cat, were killed in the fire.

"There is significant fire damage throughout the first floor, and high heat and smoke damage throughout the second floor as well," Irizarry said.

Irizarry said the man rescued from the fire spoke with investigators and that he appeared to be alright. The man was concerned for his girlfriend’s safety, who was also at home at the time, but she got out unharmed.

Police say they interviewed the girlfriend, who told them she had been hiding from a man who had stopped by the home just before the fire. She told police she was afraid of that man, identified as Daniel Bridgett, 44, of Roxbury Road in New Britain, because he’d assaulted her in the past. She told police he walked up on the porch and left a short time later. She said the fire started shortly afterwards.

An arson dog was on scene and investigators spent the morning collecting small pieces of evidence. Fire officials said they use process of elimination to determine how this fire started. They test some debris for the presence of accelerants, which determines whether the fire was intentionally set. The fire at 20 Wilson Street was deemed suspicious in nature.

New Britain police located Bridgett at his residence. He was arrested and charged with first-degree arson and first-degree reckless endangerment. He is being help on a $250,000 bond and scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court Monday, May 4.
 

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