One person has died after a fire in Waterbury Saturday afternoon, according to fire officials.
The fire broke out at a multi-family home at 9 Sudbury Street just after 3 p.m., and spread to an adjacent house. Smoke could be seen from the corner of Sudbury and Tremont Streets from miles on I-84.
Deputy Chief Rick Hart said the victim was living in the third floor apartment of the Sudbury Street home.
According to Waterbury Police, the victim is 47-year-old Victor Rivera.
Mayor Neil O'Leary along with other first responders ran inside the burning home. A fireman broke down one of the doors and found the victim unconscious.
The two multi-family apartments were fully engulfed with flames.
"I mean I never felt fire this hot in my life. We tried banging on doors making sure people got out," said Mayor Neil O'Leary. He was around the corner when he saw the blaze and rushed in to help.
Mayor O'Leary said the fire spread from one house to the other very quickly.
"Obviously it got inside the walls and it just took over the whole house," O'Leary said.
Paul Leone lives on the second floor of the home on Tremont. He and his friend were out of the house at the time. They were overwhelmed with grief as they arrived.
"Got to the top of the hill here and saw flames coming out of the top of the house and started freaking out," Leone said.
Despite the shock, Leone was reunited with his dog Rosie. She made it out of the house safely.
Three firefighters were taken to the hospital. Out of the three firefighters injured in the blaze, one was transported with chest pains, the other two suffered smoke inhalation. Their conditions are not known at this time.
