Flames, loss, and lessons: Fires that shaped Bethany and Woodbridge

In the late 19th century, fires were a constant threat to homes in Connecticut due to wooden construction, open flames for lighting and heating, and limited firefighting resources. In her 1905 book, Bethany and Its Hills, local author Eliza Lines summed up the impact with her subtitle, dubbing this phenomenon the work of 'the Fire Fiend.'

Many home fires at this time started from wood stoves, oil lamps, or chimney malfunctions, while lightning strikes also contributed to devastating blazes. In rural areas like Bethany and Woodbridge before formal fire departments, people depended on neighbors quickly forming bucket brigades as water had to be carried from wells or streams. In urban areas, some cities began forming organized fire brigades, but in smaller towns, fires could easily spread unchecked. Many families lost homes, livelihoods, and lives, and it was not until the early 20th century that Connecticut towns, including Woodbridge and Bethany, began investing in fire departments with proper equipment, water supply systems, and trained personnel.
One of the most tragic fires in Bethany’s history occurred on a bitterly cold February night in 1844 when the home of Dr. Lucien Spencer (1797-1844) was consumed by flames. According to newspaper accounts, the fire broke out just after midnight, likely due to hot ashes. At that time, the kitchen was nearly consumed, leaving Dr. Spencer and his wife, Harriet Thomas Spencer (1807-1866), barely enough time to escape. Mrs. Spencer managed to carry their two youngest children to safety, but Dr. Spencer appeared overwhelmed and disoriented. In his frantic state, he rushed toward the flames, his clothing catching fire, and began throwing snow on the blaze in a desperate attempt to put it out.
Suddenly the family realized that two of the older children, John and Henry, were still inside. Mrs. Spencer tried to re-enter the house but was driven back by the flames. Dr. Spencer, in his distress, rushed inside to save his children. The heart-wrenching scene was described by Eliza Lines:
“...shouting "Where are my boys?" he rushed through the flames up the staircase, and with one son — ages twelve and fourteen — under each arm, as he turned to escape the floor fell in beneath them, while the wife and mother, with a few neighbors, witnessed the appalling scene.”
By the time neighbors arrived, nothing could be done. The fire had consumed everything, leaving only charred remains of Dr. Spencer and one of his sons, while the other child was reduced to ashes. The entire town was shaken by the immense loss, and the surviving members of the Spencer family were taken in by Mrs. Spencer’s brother, Allen Thomas, at his nearby home (pictured at the top of this essay).

Dr. Spencer, a Yale graduate and well-known physician in New Haven County, had moved to Bethany just two years earlier, after practicing in Naugatuck for many years. He was considered a highly skilled doctor and his sudden and horrific death, along with that of his sons, cast a deep shadow over Bethany for years to come.

In the ensuing years, Bethany saw several other devastating fires, including the Carrington homestead fire. Henry A. Carrington (1808-1855), an esteemed local farmer and fruit grower, lost his home in a fire while the family was at church. His wife Samantha Tolles Carrington (1808-1890), who was ill, and their twin daughters barely escaped as the flames consumed everything. Henry later rebuilt a house on the same site, but this second home also burned down when occupied by their daughter Ellen Justine Coe (1848-1927). In an eerie coincidence, that same year, the twin sister of Mrs. Coe lost her home in a fire near Boston.
Meanwhile, here in Woodbridge on October 5, 1878, Margaret Knecht Kunz (1844-1878), the wife of Jacob Kunz (1843-1897), suffered a tragic death when her clothing caught fire from the kitchen stove in her home. In a frantic attempt to extinguish the flames, she rushed to the barn, rolling on the hay, which quickly ignited. The resulting fire engulfed the structure, and in her agony, Margaret fled outside, her clothes completely burned away and her body charred. In desperation, she jumped into a well to ease her suffering and ultimately drowned — though her burns were severe enough to have been fatal.
Jacob, a Bavarian immigrant who had settled in Woodbridge in 1878 after working at the Winchester Armory in New Haven, was left to raise their children alone. The couple's daughter Anna was just thirteen at the time and according to newspaper accounts, she witnessed her mother's tragic last moments.

The Kunz family endured additional hardships in the years that followed. Anna Kunz (1865-1893), who had been so young when her mother perished, died at age twenty-seven as a result of the crash of the steamer C.H. Northam, marking yet another tragedy for the family. Just over a year later, in October 1894, her brother Charles R. Kunz (1869-1894), a well-known milkman in Woodbridge, succumbed to typhoid fever at the age of twenty-five. His funeral was widely attended by members of the community, as well as the organizations he belonged to, including the Governor's Foot Guard and Humboldt Lodge.

Despite these early losses, the Kunz family persevered. Jacob remarried and a daughter from this marriage, Eliza Kunz Beecher (1879–1962), married Alfred Luzerne Beecher (1875–1948). This couple's daughter, Alice Beecher L'Hommedieu (1908–1992), would grow up to marry Curtis Lovell L'Hommedieu (1909-1995). He served as Woodbridge Fire Chief from 1967 to 1969.
Margaret Kunz’s death occurred at a time when there was no organized fire protection in Woodbridge. The town had no formal firefighting system, and fires were battled by neighbors using buckets of water. It wasn’t until 1929 — over fifty years after this fire — that citizens came together to form the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Association.
The fire department’s first headquarters was the remodeled Southeast School on Johnson Road. After another devastating house fire in 1930 required assistance from three neighboring towns, Woodbridge residents responded by urgently raising funds for firefighting equipment. Their first purchase was a Locomobile capable of pumping 75 gallons per minute, with a 165-gallon booster tank. In 1938, a brick firehouse was built on Center Road at Newton Road, and a Seagrave Pumper with 500 gallons per minute capacity was added.
By the time Curtis L’Hommedieu became Fire Chief in 1967, the department had grown significantly, adding modernized equipment such as rescue vehicles and hydraulic tools. During his tenure, the firehouse expanded in 1969, adding truck bays, a bunk room, a meeting space, and a kitchen — enhancements that made it possible for the town to respond to fires more effectively.

Reflecting on the evolution of fire protection in Woodbridge, it is striking to see how the town has progressed from the days when a fire like the one that claimed Margaret Kunz’s life was an uncontrollable catastrophe. The 1976 Bicentennial Booklet acknowledged the dedication of the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department, concluding its recounting of the history of the department stating: “They deserve the town’s support and appreciation.”
This statement remains true today, as always. Just as the Spencer and Kunz family tragedies tell the story of the devastating impacts of fires on our communities in the 19th century, today’s headlines remind us that fire remains a serious threat. Reading about the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles — and others across the world — intensified by the effects of recent climate change, we understand that preparedness and community resilience are as crucial now as they were over a century ago. And here in Bethany and Woodbridge, the dedication of our local volunteer firefighters remains essential as they continue to protect our communities from the tragic effects of fire.