CHESHIRE, CT — Seventeen students and staff members escaped unharmed after a fire broke out early Tuesday morning at a girls’ dormitory on the Cheshire Academy campus, prompting an emergency response from local fire crews and an investigation by state officials.
The fire was reported around 4:50 a.m. at the historic building on Main Street, where first responders arrived to find heavy smoke and flames engulfing the attic. The blaze had already begun burning through the roof of the dormitory by the time firefighters arrived.
All 17 occupants inside the building — a mix of students and staff — were able to evacuate safely, according to Cheshire Fire Chief Jack Casner. No injuries were reported. Emergency personnel, including mutual aid units from surrounding towns, worked to extinguish the flames, which caused extensive damage to the second floor and roof.
“This was a significant fire, and the age of the building certainly presented some challenges,” Casner said in a briefing.
Officials said the fire appears to have originated in the room of a resident advisor on the second floor, but the exact cause remains under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office.
The displaced students and staff were temporarily relocated to the school’s auditorium and library, where they received support from Cheshire Academy’s nursing and counseling teams. School officials said they are coordinating alternative housing and assessing the structural integrity of the damaged dormitory.
“While we are devastated by the loss of one of our residential buildings, we are incredibly grateful that everyone is safe and for the swift response from our local emergency services,” the school said in a statement.
The affected dormitory, a historic part of the private boarding school’s campus, sustained fire damage to the attic and second floor, and water damage on the lower levels. Cheshire Academy officials are evaluating how to proceed with repairs and long-term housing solutions for impacted students.
