Hamden Fire Retirees' Assn.

A multi-alarm fire in the bank section of Hamden heavily damaged the two-story commercial building popularly known as the French-Italian Building.  The fire started in an electrical panel in the rear of the second floor and quickly spread into the voids above.

Firefighters quickly initiated an interior attack but were hindered in their efforts to confine the blaze.  A common cockloft above false ceilings allowed the fire to extend into confined spaces that were impossible to reach.  After about an hour, a very large air-conditioning unit atop the already weakened roof necessitated the evacuation of all firefighters from the building.  Shortly thereafter the air-conditioning unit fell through.  The fire was finally extinguished with master streams from both ladder trucks.  Four firefighters received minor injuries.

Erected in 1948, the classic Art Deco design building housed six stores on the first floor and ten commercial offices on the second.  The French-Italian Importing Company, a one-story liquor store that was partitioned from the main building, was located right on the corner of Dixwell and Helen.

The building was rebuilt within a year.  The French-Italian Importing Company is still in business today.  At least three Hamden firefighters, Fred Knudsen, Danny O'Connell, and Burt Hillocks, worked there part-time on their days off from the fire department.  Burt recently recalled that he used to make local deliveries for the liquor store and noted that the folks who owned French-Italian Imports were nice folks to work for.