The Bridgeport Fire Department was called to Birmingham Street early Monday morning for a report of a car fire. Prior to the fire, the vehicle was initially reported stolen in Westport.
According to CT Insider, Terron Jones, the deputy director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said dispatchers were notified of the fire just after 5:35 a.m. on Monday. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and there were no reported injuries.
The fire comes just weeks after a series of other carjackings in Westport where the arrest of 39-year-old Derrick McGill was made. McGill was operating an illegal chop shop out of his rented home on Orchard Street in Berlin, CT where he was disassembling stolen automobiles to sell them as parts.
The recent rise of carjackings in Westport is a cause for concern for residents with cars. Westport car owner Logan Noorily ’25 is worried by the recent news of carjackings.
“I have recently been way more cautious by locking my car, even at places where I am only leaving for a few minutes,” Noorily said. “I think that auto theft is becoming a problem, and especially with the incident that occurred on Bayberry lane this fall, and now this car that was stolen and found on fire, I think everyone [should] be more cautious and aware of their surroundings.”
One of the cars recovered from McGill’s home was an Aston Martin which was stolen from a Westport garage on Bayberry Lane a few days prior. Four people have been arrested in this case.
According to CT Post, in addition to the Aston Martin, police said they found a Porsche Macan GTS reported stolen in Rhode Island, a BMW X4 stolen from Ridgefield, a BMW sedan and a BMW sports utility vehicle stolen in Westport.
“There is never a time to be less cautious with all the carjackings that have been happening, I always say I would rather be safe than sorry,” Noorily said.
