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Mark R. Nemec and his family are safe after the large fire, Fairfield University said in a statement, and grateful for the work of first responders, the Connecticut Post said.
A child jumped from a second-floor window to escape the fire, which had fully engulfed the back of the home when firefighters arrived at 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
Nemec was renting the home with his wife and four children, and they were displaced by the fire, which caused extensive damage, the Connecticut Post. He was named president of Fairfield University in May and took over the job July 1.
Flames were shooting from a deck and heavy fire was coming from both the first and second floor of the home at at 480 Old Post Road, Assistant Fire Chief Schuyler Sherwood said.
Early reports to firefighters said the house was occupied and a child was trapped on the second floor, Sherwood said. The child jumped and all other occupants were able to safely evacuate before firefighters arrived, he said.
The child, who is under the age of 10, was taken to the hospital for cuts suffered breaking a window, and an adult was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation, according to NBC Connecticut. Both were OK, NBC said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The home was built in 1816, by Roger Minot Sherman, a judge and nephew of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It is one many historic homes on the Old Post Road near the center of town.
Fire units from Westport, Bridgeport, and Easton also assisted at the scene of the fire, Sherwood said. The Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department and the Milford Canteen were also on the scene, with the Southport Volunteer Fire Department on standby.
Click here for the story at the Connecticut Post.
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