April 9, 2006

A small fire in an old Stamford warehouse last week erupted into a large blaze because the former owner of the complex shut off a broken sprinkler system years ago instead of repairing it, investigators told The Advocate.

Records show it is unclear when Heyman Properties of Westport, which owned the property until October, shut down the sprinkler system because of cracked and frozen pipes. Representatives of Antares Real Estate Services, the current owners, said they knew the system was broken and had started fixing it.
The April 3 fire destroyed a block-long downtown warehouse that formerly housed a 19th-century lock manufacturer, Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co. It forced at least a dozen people from the building and prompted the evacuation of as many as 200 others from the area.

The building housed an antiques dealer, a custom motorcycle shop, a furniture refinishing company and artists studios, authorities said. Damage estimates were in the millions of dollars.

According to Stamford officials, the building's maintenance supervisor said the sprinklers didn't work when he was interviewed after the fire.

"I speculate that it would probably be cheaper to have repaired it than what has happened," said William Callion, the city's public safety director.

The newspaper placed phone messages seeking comment with three Heyman executives.

City inspection records show dozens of fire code violations at the old lock manufacturer since 1990. Stamford fire marshals had not formally inspected the building since 2002. Fire officials said they cannot inspect every business each year as required by state law.

"It's just a physical impossibility," said Barry Callahan, the city's chief fire marshal. "The ultimate responsibility for monitoring the building lies with the owner."