Person dies in parking lot after New Haven apartment fire, chief says (original) (raw)

New Haven firefighters respond to a fatal fire in a building on Fountain Street on Monday night.

John Voorhees / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN — One person died Monday night in the parking lot outside an apartment building that caught fire Monday night on Fountain Street, officials said.

Fire Chief Daniel Coughlin said crews were called to the scene for a report of smoke in the building at about 8 p.m. He said crews arrived to find multiple people hanging from windows seeking rescue.

Article continues below this ad

Coughlin initially said the woman died after jumping from the building. However, he clarified on Tuesday that the woman did not appear to jump and instead suffered a fatal medical event in the parking lot.

A second-alarm was raised due to the people hanging from windows and size of the building, Coughlin said. Crews went in and made an aggressive attack, bringing the blaze under control "relatively quickly," he said.

"A lot of trapped smoke," he said. "A lot of people to evacuate."

Article continues below this ad

Coughlin said three more people were transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation. He said everyone is accounted for and the remaining people from the building have been moved into a nearby school. The number of people displaced was not immediately available late Monday night.

No firefighters were injured in the blaze, Coughlin said.

Article continues below this ad

Coughlin said the fire started in a fifth-floor apartment, adding the fire marshal's office was on the scene investigating the cause. He said the fire was contained to that unit, while the units below it have heavy water damage.

Correction: This story and headline have been updated based on corrected information from the fire chief that the woman may not have jumped from the window.

June 8, 2026|Updated June 9, 2026 11:10 a.m.

Josh LaBella is a breaking news reporter and former reporter for the Fairfield Citizen. He has been with Hearst Connecticut Media Group since 2020. When not working, he can be found playing video games or Dungeons & Dragons, reading, hiking or hanging with friends.