Initial ruling says Parkside West fire was accidental

New London - A Tuesday night fire at the Parkside West apartments that displaced several dozen residents has preliminarily been ruled accidental.

Fire Marshal Calvin Darrow said Thursday the cause of the fire is still under investigation and that fire officials are looking at a stove in a third-floor apartment.

The fire started just before 10 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters said people were leaning out of windows on all sides of the building when the first crews responded.

Thirty-four of the 37 units in the building were occupied at the time.

There were about 50 tenants who were displaced as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross assisted the displaced tenants.

City officials have condemned the building.

Parkside West was built in the 1970s prior to current fire codes, said New London building official Jack Cipriano. A permit was issued in 1998 to "re-roof" the building, which Cipriano interpreted as re-shingling. No additional fire-safety measures would have been required, he said.

Garth Brown, owner of the building, said Thursday morning he was not certain whether the building will be saved or demolished. An insurance adjuster has to determine if it is salvageable.