The American Red Cross is now assisting a wheelchair-bound Trout Brook Drive resident after a fire Thursday morning.

The homeowner was displaced in a fire at 682 Trout Brook Dr., West Hartford, on April 2. Photo credit: Tom Hickey

By Ronni Newton

A small “room content” fire at a ranch-style home at 682 Trout Brook Dr. in West Hartford Thursday morning was extinguished quickly, but the house is temporarily uninhabitable and the homeowner was treated for smoke inhalation, West Hartford Fire Department Battalion Chief John Sokolowski said.

The homeowner, who is in a wheelchair, was able to get out of the house and meet firefighters on the front lawn, Sokolowski said. The resident was treated for smoke inhalation at Hartford Hospital.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Sokolowski said that it was confined to one room, about the size of a bedroom, that contained a desk and computer equipment.

The fire was reported at approximately 10:45 a.m., and was brought under control in about 20 minutes, Sokolowski said. “It was a very quick fire, but there was lots of smoke damage,” he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The American Red Cross is assisting the homeowner with emergency food and clothing needs, and also provided a “comfort kit” containing personal care items. American Red Cross Chief Communication Officer Paul Shipman said that “Red Cross volunteers Larry Berman, Ben Schenkman, Kelly Slate and Ann Marie Braun responded to assist the resident.”

The Red Cross also provided an envelope containing helpful information “including tips on cleanup, notification of important contacts, dealing with damaged items and more,” Shipman said in an email.