MERIDEN — Meriden Police and the fire marshal’s office are investigating an assault and fire that sent four people to the hospital early Thursday morning.
Around 1 a.m. Thursday morning, police received a report of multiple people fighting in the area of 170 Colony St. Several people outside of the multi-unit dwelling told officers that there was a fire on the second floor of the building, according to a statements from police and fire officials.
Simultaneously, multiple calls were also received by Meriden Emergency Communications reporting a house fire at the same address.
When officers entered the building, they discovered a woman with an apparent head wound, possibly caused by a blunt impact instrument and a burned arm.
Heavy smoke could be observed from the front of the building by arriving firefighters. Fire was visible from the rear on the second floor of the 3-story building.
A 2nd alarm was called due to fire, smoke conditions and the amount of occupants, bringing the remainder of the city’s firefighting resources to the scene.
The doors to each room were fortified and needed to be forced open to search for victims. Firefighters were able to rescue two occupants. Other firefighters and police officers assisted other occupants to safety. Four people were taken to the hospital by Hunters Ambulance. Injuries ranged from medical in nature to significant burns. Firefighters involved did not sustain any injuries.
The Fire Department was able to bring the fire under control within an hour, but the building sustained significant heat, smoke and water damage.
Wallingford, Southington and Berlin firefighters helped provide mutual aid for city coverage.
The investigation by the Police Department is still ongoing as the fire marshal conducts the cause of the fire.
The Meriden Police Department said due to the lack of cooperation and information provided from individuals involved on scene, they are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Detective Hadir at 203-630-6250 or jhadir@meridenct.gov.
chooks@record-journal.com203-317-2279