VIDEO: Seventh Avenue Home Fire Leaves One Displaced

engines 1, 2, 5 and 9 responded to 22 Seventh Avenue in the Hotchkissgrove section of Branford on report of a fire this morning just after 7 a.m.

Branford Fire Department Chief Jack Ahern stated that the sole occupant of the home, who appeared to be in his 60s, had already evacuated the premises when crews arrived. While firefighters worked to take down the fire, the victim sat across the street on a neighbor's property in a lawn chair wrapped in a blanket.

Ahern reported that the homeowner stated his 30-year-old son might be asleep in the basement so crews performed a search of the home but did not find any additional people inside. The homeowner later stated that his son may not have come home last night.

The fire seemed to have originated from the back of the one-floor ranch where the occupant’s bedroom is. Firefighters knocked out all windows to allow smoke to escape and penetrated the roof above the bedroom as well.

After about 15 minutes, Branford FD had the fire under control and as they were wrapping up, Guilford Fire Department arrived for rapid intervention assistance.

Ahern stated that the Fire Marshall's Office will be investigating the cause of the fire, which at the present is still unknown.

The victim, whose name was not released, was transported to an area hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

The home is uninhabitable and Connecticut Light and Power arrived to manage power lines on the home–the lines connected near the side of the home where the most fire damaged appeared to have occurred.