Illegal AC Wire Likely Cause of Poningo Fire

An air conditioner that was illegally plugged into a socket with temporary wire was likely the cause of the Poningo Street fire that displaced 25 people Monday night, Port Chester Fire Inspector Kevin Brennan said at the scene of the fire today.

Brennan, several code inspectors, Village Manager Chris Steers and Building Inspector Peter Miley were on the scene outside 49 and 51 Poningo Street, assessing the damage, checking for violations and overcrowding. They were also there to work with Red Cross volunteer public affairs coordinator Caroyln Sherwin who was talking to evacuated families to evaluate their needs and help find them temporary housing.

“No one will be going back in there any time soon,” Brennan said. “It is not habitable.”

The fire started on the second floor of the 49 side of three-story building, spread through that floor and up into the third, Brennan said.

“It was a very fast moving fire,” Brennan said. 

“I saw the air conditioner was on fire and then everything around it caught the flames,” said Eduardo Galdino, 45, who was in the neighborhood when the fire started.

Conerned that people might be stuck in the thick black smoke that was overwhelming the sidewalk, Galdino climbed onto the roof of the house, kicked the air conditioner out of the window and went in to look for any residents who may have been suffocating, he said. When firefighters arrived a few minutes later they told him to evacuate, he said.  

“I was just worried someone was in there already dizzy from the smoke,” Galdino said.

Of the 25 people displaced, 17 were adults, eight were children, including at least one baby, according to the Red Cross. Only a few people were in the building at the time, according to residents. The building at 49 and 51 Poningo Street is legally zoned as two three-story, three-family homes, Brennan said. It is unclear how many families were living there at this time, but Sherwin said it is more than six.

The entire Port Chetser fire department arrived to fight the flames and had it knocked out in the first five minutes, Brennan said. But the rescuers were also fighting the heat; two became sick of heat exhaustion and were transported to the Greenwich hospital, Brennan said. There is no word on their current condition at this time, he said.

The second floor at 49 is gutted, the first has extensive water damage and the third floor bedroom was gutted and the rest of the apartment has heavy damage. 

The second and third floor at 51 Poningo are likely not structurally sound and suffered heavy smoke damage, Brennan said.

“Everthing is wet, I think the only thing I can get is my tv,” said a resident of the first floor at 49 while she waited to speak to the Red Cross Tuesday. 

“Thank God they were not here,” said Soraya Gonzalez of her sister and her family who lived in the first floor at 49. Gonzalez, who works in Youth Services at the Don Bosco Community Center, came by to help the Red Cross with translation for the Hispanic families who needed help.

“We are just happy that everyone is ok,” said Virgina Aquirre, 35, whose mom owns  51 Poningo and who grew up in that house. “(My mother) is ok, she is a little shaken up and nervous though,” Aguierre said. She and her mother were on the scene to talk to the village officials and help families in any way they could, she said.  

The Village has set up the senior center as a reception area for the Red Cross, Steers said.

Check back with Patch later today to see if the Red Cross could use your help in aiding the victims.