East Hampton Bevin Bell Factory Fire

05/26/12 East Hampton, CT - A massive blaze destroyed the entire Bevin Bell Factory early Sunday morning. The fire was reported around 11:30 pm. It quickly spread throughout the complex which was made up of old mill buildings inter-connected. The fire burned out of control for hours causing the evacuation of nearby residents. As the fire quickly spread, multiple alarms were transmitted bring fire departments from two counties in Connecticut. Some of the departments were Portland, Essex, Glastonbury, Middletown, Tolland and Willington. Multiple tanker strike teams were requested due to poor access and lack of hydrants in the Area. These two factors severly hampered firefighters ability to control the inferno. The were several explosion that also rocked the area. These were due to multiple propane tanks on site.
The fire was declared under control around 4:30a.m. Fire companies would remain on scene for several more hours performing final extinguishment. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the state fmo.
The Bevin Bros. Bell Company was a landmark building in the Town of East Hampton since 1832. Bevin Brothers was the only remaining company manufacturing just bells in the United States.