Fire at multi-family Bridgeport home

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH)-- Firefighters responded to a house fire in Bridgeport on Thursday morning.

Flames burst out of the multi-family house on Springdale Street, sending residents rushing out onto the street. Firefighters battled through the heavy smoke as they tried to put out the flames shooting out of the roof. It was hard for those affected to watch.

"It doesn't feel good, that's why I'm not looking that way," said Stephanie Voss, family member. "I don't want to look that way."

Several members of her family, including her grandmother, were inside the house when the fire broke out. A contractor working inside at the time, carried the grandmother out to safety.

"We tried to throw water up there and nothing happened so we called the fire dept," said Pastor Kenneth Vereen.

"And it spread pretty fast," asked News 8's Ali Reed.

"Yes, faster than we thought it would," said Pastor Vereen. "So I just thought take them out, the older people."

No one was hurt, but their home was badly damaged.

"They didn't have any clothing, so I just brought some to wrap them up," said Voss.

The family warmed up in a nearby car.

The freezing temperatures presented some challenges for the firefighters, as soon as the water hits the ground it turns right to ice.

"You can see in the street everything is freezing up, we have public works coming with a sand truck," said Asst. Chief Robert Morton. "We're concerned with our apparatus freezing up, the hose lines freezing up, as well as my men freezing up."

Residents tell News 8 they believe it was an electrical fire that started on the 2nd floor. Fire officials are investigating.