Early Morning Fire Destroys Horse Farm House

An early morning fire has reduced to rubble the main residence of a 30-acre Sandy Hook horse farm, possibly killing several pets and sending the man who discovered the blaze to the hospital to be checked for smoke inhalation, officials said.

The other four occupants – the man's wife, two kids and a fifth person who rented a downstairs apartment – were uninjured, Sandy Hook Fire Chief and Town Fire Marshal Bill Halstead said. An unspecified number of pets – dogs and cats were in the house, according to a neighbor – are assumed to have perished in the blaze but there was no confirmation of that, officials said.

The homeowners of 5 Morgan Drive, Zoar Ridge Stables, were asleep when the fire broke out, Halstead said. The husband reportedly heard a noise and went to check on it, officials said.

"He opened the garage door and the garage was fully involved," Halstead said.

Sandy Hook volunteer firefighters got the call at about 4:50 a.m., and by the time they arrived, the main residence was fully engulfed in flames and the five people had been safely evacuated, Halstead said.

Backup crews from the other four fire companies — Hook and Ladder, Hawleyville, Botsford and Dodgingtown — as well as tanker trucks from Monroe, Danbury, Ridgefield and Southbury responded. Due to the absence of hydrants, water had to be hauled in.

Firefighters set to work protecting nearby structures and trying to keep the blaze contained for about two hours before it came under control, officials said. Hours later, firefighters remained on scene wetting down the still smoldering rubble surrounding two chimneys — all that was left standing of what town records show was once a 3,600-square-foot Colonial-style home.

A front loader also was brought in to sift through the rubble while firefighters blanketed it with water to make sure any remaining hot spots were fully extinguished.

Halstead said the cause remains under investigation, and that all officials know is that the fire started in the garage. A burned-out golf cart was discernable in the rubble. Halstead said an accelerant-sniffing dog was brought in to assist investigators, and it did not detect any signs of arson.

There were no reports of injuries other than the homeowner whom a neighbor said was subsequently released from Danbury Hospital. He was taken there as a precaution due to concerns he may have breathed in too much smoke, Halstead said.

The American Red Cross also was on scene offering water and food to firefighters, and a representative said they also would assist the family if necessary.

Part of Jeremiah Road was temporarily blocked to allow equipment and emergency crews access to the expansive farm.

The website for Zoar Ridge Stables said that the facility has existed since 1994, and offers a full-range of equestrian services, including boarding and riding rinks. Annette Sullivan is listed as the owner of the farm and property, records showed.

Neighbor Rosemary Zanfini said Sullivan and her husband, Brian, are good neighbors and that their house had been beautiful inside and out. She described it as "like Wuthering Heights," with features that include a fireplace in every room and access to a wrap-around first-floor porch.

"Everything was big, big, big in that house," Zanfini said.

The inside was tastefully decorated, she said.

"It's so sad," Zanfini said. "I used to tell everybody how beautiful their house is…I can't believe that house burned down."

The residence, which was built in 1996 and features five bedrooms, four full baths and a half bath, also is listed for sale at $3.5 million, according to a real estate website.

Editor's note: Dogs and cats occupied the house, according to a neighbor. An unspecified number of pets are assumed to have perished in the fire, but there was no confirmation of that, officials said. An earlier version of this article was unclear in its account of the pets. An earlier version of the article also was inaccurate in describing some of the features of the house.