Derby fire caused by cigarette, fire marshal says

By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
DERBY — The fire early Thursday afternoon that heavily damaged a six-family apartment building at 92-94 Olivia St. was caused by a cigarette, Fire Marshal Phil Hawks said this morning.
He said the building is uninhabitable “right now, because we had to cut the power because of the water damage.”
Hawks said he spoke with the city’s building official, David Kopjanski, today about the amount of damage to the structure. “He estimated it at $200,000,” Hawks said. He said Kopjanski was not at work today and could not be reached.
The fire started on a third-floor porch shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday. All of the tenants got out of the structure unharmed.
An Ansonia man, Chris Esteves, 24, rescued Theresa Tiano, who is in her 80s, from her third-floor apartment. She was not injured. The American Red Cross was on the scene Thursday to assist tenants.