Long Hill firefighters spent about three hours mitigating and ventilating a home after a homeowner accidentally cut a refrigerant line while dismantling an old fridge, releasing sulfur dioxide

By Josh LaBella
New Haven Register

TRUMBULL, Conn. — A leak from a 1940s-era refrigerator led to a hazardous materials incident in town Monday morning, according to officials.

Firefighters were called at about 11:30 a.m. for a report of a leak of an unknown substance, the Long Hill Volunteer Fire Company said in a post on Facebook. They did not say what street the incident took place on.

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Officials said arriving crews began an investigation and determined that a 1940s-era refrigerator was in the process of being dismantled and removed from the home. During the removal, they said, the homeowner accidentally cut the refrigerant line, resulting in the release of sulfur dioxide.

Initial entry crews detected elevated readings on their meters and immediately backed out of the residence, officials said. They said firefighters worked with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team to mitigate the leak and ventilate the residence.

Officials said crews operated at the scene for approximately three hours, adding no injuries were reported.

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